Knowledge and information empowers people facing a terminal diagnosis or end of life, delegates heard at the National Medicines Symposium in Brisbane last week.
CEO of Health Ethics Australia and Senior Lecturer in Health Care Ethics, University of Queensland Dr Sarah Winch presented a personal and professional take on death and dying, explaining that an aversion to talking about death in our culture leads to difficulties for those at the end of life, and their families and carers.
She discussed the benefits of individuals and prescribers alike being more comfortable with prescribing and medicines issues that are linked to terminal illness.
“Death and dying is everyone’s issue, but it is often so difficult to get the information you need when you or a loved one faces the end of life, or to make sense of the complex information that is available,†says Dr Winch.
“For example, someone with end stage cancer might be prescribed a medicine that has the potential to prolong their life but has long lists of common and less common side effects — and the individual and their family would need to understand the risks and benefits of that medicine in order to make an informed decision about whether to take it.
“We can help people to be more comfortable and confident in end-of-life decisions by building skills in troubleshooting, improving access to palliative care, communication between health professionals and consumers, and educating people about how to escalate concerns. We have an excellent healthcare system – but it can be like a broken jigsaw when it comes to the end of life. We need guidance on how to put the pieces together to get the best death possible.