Victorian doctors in specialties likely to be involved in end-of-life decisions are being surveyed about their decision-making practices. Researchers from the NHMRC-funded Centre of Research Excellence in End-of-Life Care are conducting a study to determine what sort of end-of-life decisions are being made by doctors, how often these decisions occur and for what sort of patients.
At present, there are no up-to-date, representative Australian data describing the frequency and nature of medical end-of-life decisions, and the characteristics of patients about whom such decisions are made. The research aims to provide an evidence base to understand current medical practice in Victoria including the extent to which palliative care is provided to patients at the end of life. Findings from this research will also inform improvements in the quality of end-of-life care.
A sample of Victorian doctors will be contacted from 9 April by the AMA's Australia Medical Publishing Company (AMPCo) to invite them to complete a survey. The survey can be completed in hard copy or online.
