University of Washington

Evaluating and Ameliorating End-of-Life Suffering

At the end of life, suffering has special resonance for patients and physicians, and relief of suffering becomes the fundamental goal of medicine. Yet physicians rarely evaluate suffering or discuss it explicitly with patients. This two-part project aims to improve medical evaluation and amelioration of suffering for patients in the last year of life. The project team will conduct a qualitative study of patient experiences in the last year of life, involving longitudinal patient interviews, to characterize suffering and its evolution over time. These patient narratives will then be integrated in an education program for faculty physicians with inpatient medicine attending responsibilities to improve patient-physician communication and will add to the growing body of medical research of suffering and its treatment.