Increased Coverage of End-of-Life Discussion Study

Last month we shared a Chicago Tribune article about a study funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health on whether physicians discuss end-of-life issues with patients dying of cancer. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and showed just over a third of patients could recall having discussed end-of-life issues with their doctor.

That study is getting increased media attention this week due to the passage a bill by the California Assembly that requires health care providers to give dying patients complete answers about their end-of-life options. The bill still must pass the in the state Senate.

This AP article appearing on MSNBC includes several doctors' reaction to the study. An LA Chronicle article from Saturday also highlights the groups that support and oppose the bill. Compassion & Choices, which supports the bill, points out that a group opposing the bill, the Northern California Oncologists, appear to be in contradiction with the study, as well as the result of another study regarding the use of chemotherapy at the end-of-life (which we posted last Friday.)