Seven Principles for Patient-Centered End-of-Life Care

Compassion and Choices has released a new brochure outlining and describing "Seven Principles for Patient-Centered End-of-Life Care":

1. Focus. End of life care should focus on the patient’s life and current experience
2. Self-determination. Individuals vary in their tolerance for pain and suffering.
3. Autonomy. Decisions about end-of-life care begin and end with the autonomous patient.
4. Personal Beliefs. Patients should feel empowered to make decisions based on their own deeply held values and beliefs, without fear of moral condemnation or political interference.
5. Informed Consent. Patients must have comprehensive, candid information in order to make valid decisions and give informed consent.
6. Balance. Patients should feel empowered to make decisions based on their own assessment of the balance between quantity and quality of life.
7. Notice. Patients must have early, forthright and complete notice of health care providers’ institutional or personal p policies or beliefs that could impact their treatment wishes at the end of life