Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, surpassed only by heart disease.
Thus, health care providers regularly encounter terminally ill patients in hospitals, emergency departments, long term care facilities and in their homes. Often times, heroic efforts undertaken to extend the lives of these patients are futile and undesired by both the patient and family. Even when the patient is successfully resuscitated the patient and family recognize that the patient may be left in a debilitating state with a poor quality of life resulting in a financial and emotional burden on the family. Meanwhile, health care workers and health care institutions may feel caught in the middle of this drama. They are concerned about the patient, but must also be concerned about medical malpractice lawsuits, vague state laws and deal with their own personal beliefs.