Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care

Korean Society for Hospice and Palliative Care (한국호스피스완화의료학회)
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Family Decision-Making to Withdraw Life-Sustaining Treatment for Terminally-Ill Patients in an Unconscious State

의식 없는 말기환자 가족의 연명치료 중단 결정 경험

  • Kim, Myung-Hee (College of Nursing, Pusan National University) ;
  • Kang, Eun-Hee (Department of Nursing, Kyungnam College University of Information & Technology) ;
  • Kim, Mi-Young (Department of Nursing, Kyungnam College University of Information & Technology)
  • Received : 2012.03.07
  • Accepted : 2012.06.02
  • Published : 2012.09.01
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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand family members' experience of deciding to withdraw life-sustaining treatments for terminally-ill patients in an unconscious state. Methods: Data were collected by performing an in-depth interview with eight terminally-ill patients' family members who decided to withdraw life-sustaining treatments. Colaizzi's phenomenological method was used for data analysis. Results: Questions were classified into 12 groups and finally into five categories. The five categories were about family members' frustration with patient's condition, emotional preparation for the patient's death upon medical professionals' recommendation, patient's wishes, exhaustion due to caring and past experiences related to life-sustaining treatment. Conclusion: Using the five categories, hospice and palliative professionals could better understand family members' decision making experience of withdrawing life-sustaining treatments for terminally-ill patients. Based on that, the family members could be provided with appropriate counseling and care, which in turn could improve hospice and palliative care intervention.

목적: 본 연구의 목적은 의식 없는 말기환자 가족의 연명치료 중단 결정 경험을 이해하기 위함이다. 방법: 자료는 의 없는 말기환자의 연명치료 중단 결정을 한 8명의 가족으로부터 심층면담을 통해 수집하였다. Colaizzi의 현상학적 분석 방법이 자료 분석을 위해 사용되었다. 결과: 주제는 12개의 주제모음으로 분류되었고, 12개의 주제모음은 마침내 5개의 범주로 통합되었다. 5개의 범주는 환자상태로 인한 절망감, 의료진의 권고에 마음을 비움, 환자의 바램, 돌봄으로 인한 가족의 소진, 연명치료와 관련된 과거의 경험이었다. 결론: 다섯 개의 범주를 통하여 의식 없는 말기환자 가족의 연명치료 중단 결정 과정에서 발생할 수 있는 현상들을 이해함으로써 적절한 상담과 간호를 제공하여 보다 바람직한 호스피스 완화의료 중재가 필요하다고 본다.

Keywords

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