Les décisions de limitation de thérapeutiques actives aux urgences, une étude qualitative exploratoire

During the last decade, end of life care has become a public health problem in France. The objective of this study is to give an account of the limitations of decisions made by emergency room staff. An analysis was conducted to better understand practices and the logical decision-making processes by two emergency room teams. Twenty-three interviews (22 individual interviews and one focus group) were conducted with doctors, nurses, nursing auxiliaries and members of families. Based on the recommendations of the French society of emergency medicine, we examine the place of the doctor, the healthcare team, the family and the patient in these decisions. The study reveals that, beyond general principles approved by health professionals, today it is the practical implementation of these recommendations that is necessary in order to for a change in practice.