Dying patients have less say in their care than their families do
Singapore | Updated today at 07:01 PM
By Salma Khalik
When it comes to the treatment and care of people who are dying in Singapore, it is often the family rather than the patient who has the most say.
Researchers in a study called What Doctors Say About Care Of The Dying, which was supported by a grant from the philanthropic Lien Foundation, have found that unlike in Western developed countries where patient autonomy rules, family members tend to take over the decision-making here.
This includes whether the patient ought to be told that he is dying, and the sort of treatment he gets.
Often, the patient willingly defers to the family members because he feels they know more about medical issues, and also because he depends on them for both care and financial support.
But this situation can lead to 'tensions between doctors and families of because under the law, doctors are in fact only answerable to the patient and must protect his confidentiality.
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