Is Worldwide Consensus on End-of-life Care Attainable?

The principle that dying patients should be treated with respect and compassion is broadly accepted among healthcare professionals; however, medical practices for end-of-life care differ around the world. These great differences in treating the critically ill warrant agreement regarding major ethical principles. Dr. Charles L. Sprung will review differences in end-of-life practices in different countries, religions and cultures, and will describe the WELPICUS study, which developed consensus for end-of-life care, delineating where there is and is not consensus.

Target Audience

Physicians, Physician Assistants, Medical Students and other interested healthcare professionals.

Learning Objectives

  • Recognize the religious and cultural differences noted for end-of-life decisions in the ICU.
  • Identify the differences in end-of-life decision making around the world.
  • Describe the end-of-life issues where worldwide consensus was and was not developed.
Additional information
Bibliography: 
  • Sprung, C. L., Cohen, S. L., Sjokvist, P., Baras, M., Bulow, H. H., Hovilehto, S., ... & Schobersberger, W. (2003). End-of-life practices in European intensive care units: the Ethicus Study. Jama, 290(6), 790-797.
  • Bülow, H. H., Sprung, C. L., Reinhart, K., Prayag, S., Du, B., Armaganidis, A., ... & Levy, M. M. (2008). The world's major religions' points of view on end-of-life decisions in the intensive care unit. Intensive care medicine, 34(3), 423-430.
  • Sprung, C. L., Truog, R. D., Curtis, J. R., Joynt, G. M., Baras, M., Michalsen, A., ... & Bulpa, P. (2014). Seeking worldwide professional consensus on the principles of end-of-life care for the critically ill. The Consensus for Worldwide End-of-Life Practice for Patients in Intensive Care Units (WELPICUS) study. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 190(8), 855-866.
Course Summary
Available credit: 
  • 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 0.75 General certificate of attendance
Course opens: 
11/01/2018
Course expires: 
10/31/2021

Charles Sprung, M.D., J.D.
Director Emeritus, General Intensive Care Unit
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center
Jerusalem, Israel     

Charles Sprung, M.D., faculty for this educational activity, is a consultant with Data and Monitoring Committee, Phase III Sepsis Study, Asahi Kasei Pharma America and has indicated that the presentation or discussion will not include off-label or unapproved product usage. 

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for this individual has been mitigated.

Ana Viamonte-Ros, M.D., conference director for this educational activity, has no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies* to disclose.

Non-faculty contributors and others involved in the planning, development, and editing/review of the content have no relevant financial relationships to disclose with ineligible companies*.  

*Ineligible companies -- Companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

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Baptist Health South Florida is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Baptist Health has been re-surveyed by the ACCME and awarded Commendation for 6 years as a provider of CME for physicians.
              
Baptist Health South Florida designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Available Credit

  • 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 0.75 General certificate of attendance
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