Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/981659
43 PATIENT EXPERIENCE Viewpoint: Failing to tell patients they are inoperable may make them suffer more By Megan Knowles A lthough it is difficult for physicians to tell chronically ill patients their condition is incurable, physicians who fail to tell patients they are inoperable may only make them suffer more, retired gastroenterologist Samuel Harrington, MD, argued in an op-ed for e Washington Post. Surgeons oen tell patients treatment is futile indirectly when they declare them inopera- ble, which patients tend to accept since they are aware of the significant harm ineffective surgeries can cause, Dr. Harrington wrote. However, physicians who care for patients with advanced chronic diseases do not have such clear-cut negative certainties to rely on, especially when patients ask if there is anything that could possibly help their condition, Dr. Harrington added. "In many cases the answer is, technically, 'yes.' [W]hen practically speaking it is 'no, not really.'" Dr. Harrington described one experience with a patient who had no effective med- ical treatment available for his symptoms and no surgical cure for his disease. For this patient, palliative surgery was the only option to control his gastrointestinal pain, but he was emotionally unwilling and too physically weak for a medical procedure. "And yet for weeks he had wasted time with clinic visits because his gastrointesti- nal specialists fragmented his care, focus- ing only on this horrible symptom," Dr. Harrington wrote. "Nobody had looked at him as a whole being. No one had told him that he was terminally ill. No one had told him that his symptoms might be reduced by palliative care but could not be elimi- nated. When I tried to explain that to him, it appeared to fall on deaf ears." Despite the American Medical Association's efforts to encourage physicians to recog- nize the futility of treating certain extreme situations and advanced diseases, these guidelines face opposition, according to Dr. Harrington. "ere remains a powerful resis- tance, shared by doctors, patients and family members, to recognizing treatments as in- effective when dealing with chronic illnesses such as advanced congestive heart failure, severe dementia and unresponsive cancer." In this way, physicians are contributing to patients' suffering during their final days of life, Dr. Harrington argued. "Physicians must recognize and help patients understand that endless treatment eventually becomes cruelly ineffective, but that palliative care is never futile," Dr. Harrington wrote. n Accelerate Operatory Turnover with DisCide Ultra Disinfectant With intermediate level DisCide Ultra, surface disinfectant and decontaminant cleaner, you can accelerate the way you disinfect clinical settings. In just 60 seconds, DisCide Ultra is effective against TB, viruses (HBV, HCV, RSV, HIV-1), bacteria (MRSA, VRE, E. coli), and fungi (C. albicans). Specifically formulated to resist evaporation, it's non-corrosive, non-staining, and leaves no residue. Plus, it meets OSHA's blood-borne pathogen standard. Ready-to-use for the ultimate in convenience, DisCide Ultra is available in identical formulations in both spray and towelette formats to ensure efficacy when liquid and towelettes are used in tandem. DisCide to be sure with fast acting DisCide Ultra. (800) 344-6424 Visit discide.com for a disinfectant efficacy chart. Zero to Gone In Sixty SPECIAL OFFER* Buy 24 DisCide Ultra Wipes, Get 3 of the same or Buy 12 DisCide Ultra Wipes, Get 1 of the same [1983-008] [1982-072] * To receive your no charge item(s), please email a copy of your dealer invoice dated 05/01/18-06/30/18 to: customerservice@palmerohealth.com, fax to (203) 377-8988, or mail to: 120 Goodwin Place, Stratford, CT 06615. Must receive invoice by 07/31/18. Please allow 4–6 weeks for no charge goods.