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Medical Writings |16 October 2001

Caring for Patients at the End of Life: Facing an Uncertain Future Together

Judith C. Ahronheim, MD

Article, Author, and Disclosure Information
Author, Article, and Disclosure Information
Copyright ©2004 by the American College of Physicians

Structured abstracts of information on newly published books, computer programs, selected Web sites, and other material are provided in this portion of Medical Writings. Not all items submitted by publishers are abstracted, but a listing of almost all material received can be found in the advertising pages of each issue. “Order phone” numbers can be used to place orders directly with publishers.

Structured abstracts of information on newly published books, computer programs, selected Web sites, and other material are provided in this portion of Medical Writings. Not all items submitted by publishers are abstracted, but a listing of almost all material received can be found in the advertising pages of each issue. “Order phone” numbers can be used to place orders directly with publishers.

  • New York Medical College and Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers, New York, New York. (Ahronheim)
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Quill TE. 248 pages. New York: Oxford Univ Pr; 2001. $24.95. ISBN 0195139402. Order phone 800-451-7556.
Field of medicine: Palliative and end-of-life care.
Format: Softcover book.
Audience: Physicians, other health professionals, and students.
Purpose: To explore, understand, and teach what can be done for patients at the end of life and what the physician might experience during this process.
Content: Each of 13 chapters addresses a specific aspect of end-of-life care. Three major sections cover “underlying values and assumptions” about the physician–patient relationship. “The Medical Interview” explores the right and wrong ways of discussing difficult issues with patients, and “Difficult Clinical and Ethical Issues” covers assisted suicide and other “last-resort” measures, such as terminal sedation and voluntary stopping eating and drinking. Chapters include references and tables. In the epilogue, the author presents a personal perspective about his younger brother's unexpected death.
Highlights: Material is presented from the dual perspective of the patient (or patient's family) and the physician, with illustrative cases. The uncommon depth with which the concepts in the book are addressed demonstrates the author's extensive clinical experience and intellectual reflection on the topic. Moral and legal controversies are well covered in the cited references.
Limitations: Although the book has much practical utility, it does not provide specific medical guidelines, such as drug selection and dosing. The language is generally accessible to nonmedical professionals, but some of the more sophisticated concepts may be best appreciated by people with at least some clinical exposure.
Related reading: Established textbooks that explore...
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Ahronheim JC. Caring for Patients at the End of Life: Facing an Uncertain Future Together. Ann Intern Med. 2001;135:636. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-135-8_Part_1-200110160-00022

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Published: Ann Intern Med. 2001;135(8_Part_1):636.

DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-135-8_Part_1-200110160-00022

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