An act of love

End-of-life conversations are a difficult part of medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has made them simultaneously more necessary and more difficult. Encouraging patients to have these conversations with their own providers and loved ones can help ensure, when the unfortunate time comes, their end-of-li...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palliative & supportive care 2022-06, Vol.20 (3), p.449-450
Main Author: Gambril, John Alan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID-19
Essay/Personal Reflection
Families & family life
Grief
Palliative care
Physician patient relationships
Verbal communication
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Summary:End-of-life conversations are a difficult part of medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has made them simultaneously more necessary and more difficult. Encouraging patients to have these conversations with their own providers and loved ones can help ensure, when the unfortunate time comes, their end-of-life wishes are carried out. This honors the patient and limits burden on others. Here, I reflect on how my personal experience as both a grieving grandson and as a resident physician has emphasized the importance of end-of-life conversations.
ISSN:1478-9515
1478-9523
DOI:10.1017/S1478951522000049