According to recent studies, nearly one-third of terminally ill patients prefers not to be resuscitated, but their doctors frequently do not know this. Half of patients able to communicate in the last three days of life said they were in severe pain. Improving death and the dying experience for people in our community requires communication and cooperation among everyone involved. In additions to easing the personal anguish felt by families, it also helps our community to use scarce health care resources more wisely. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent each year in a futile effort to prolong life not only beyond the body s ability to live but also beyond the patient s desire to live.
Technology can sustain life, but it can be a life void of quality and many times dignity .