Continuing Education: Choice in Dying: Current Legal, Policy, and Ethical Issues

Many patients, particularly at the end of life, do not receive quality care. Palliative and hospice care often are not provided in a timely manner, if at all. Additionally, the health care wishes of patients often are not honored, thus dying patients may receive interventions they never wanted. Patients who experience intolerable suffering may not know of options that could reduce their suffering and allow them to die with dignity, in accordance with their values and wishes. In order to make “informed decisions” about end-of-life care, patients must be given information about expected benefits and burdens of proposed interventions—as well as the consequences of changing the focus of care to comfort. Social workers can play an important role as catalysts for better-quality care for patients at the end of life to ensure that their health care wishes are respected.

Completion of this class will result in the receipt of four continuing education hours.