Values underlying end-of-life decisions: a qualitative approach

2001 Jan 8

01/08/2001

PubMed:

Health Soc Work . 2001 Aug;26(3):150-9

By R D Leichtentritt K D Rettig

Abstract

The purpose of the study discussed in this article was to reveal the values that would receive priority attention when considering end-of-life decisions. Nineteen elderly Israelis and their 28 family members participated in individual interviews that were analyzed using a hermeneutic phenomenological method. Analysis of the transcripts indicated that participants considered a unique set of value priorities that raised different considerations in each off our domains of life: physical-biological, social-psychological, familial, and societal. Three transcendent values crossed all four life domains: dignity, quality of life, and quality of death. These value considerations are useful information for social workers who consult patients and family members at times of end-of-life decisions.

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