SynthesisBMC palliative care2025
Ethical aspects of limiting end-of-Life treatment of adult patients at the primary healthcare level in family and emergency medicine: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMC palliative care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Drivers of avoidable emergency department visits in older adults with multiple long-term conditions and palliative care needs: a qualitative survey across six care providers.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDecisions to limit treatment near the end of life are challenging and common in primary healthcare, especially in family and emergency medicine.
objectivesThis review aimed to [1] examine the evidence on the decision-making process regarding treatment limitation in end-of-life care in family and emergency medicine [2], identify associated ethical considerations, and [3] compare the evidence between family and emergency medicine.
methodsA systematic search of PubMed and Embase was conducted for studies published between 2004 and 2024. Eligible studies focused on ethical aspects of limiting treatment in end-of-life care in family and emergency medicine, such as decision-making processes, influencing factors, and ethical considerations. Quality was assessed using adapted Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists.
resultsOf the 477 identified studies, 12 met the inclusion criteria. Eight papers reported research on treatment limitations in emergency medical care, two in family/general medicine, one on medication discontinuation in end-of-life care, and one on goals-of-care conversations in emergency departments. Patients, families and colleagues were involved to varying degrees. Family physicians were rarely included in emergency care decisions, despite their potential to align care with patient preferences. Decision-making in emergency medicine was characterized by rapid, protocol-driven processes, often constrained by time and workload, while decisions in family medicine relied on longitudinal patient relationships and clinical judgment, though lacking formalized guidelines. Key factors influencing decisions on limiting treatment included patient and family wishes and values, illness severity, prognosis, previous functional limitation, age, poor predicted quality of life and cultural and religious contexts.
conclusionOur review showed that decisions regarding treatment limitations in primary care settings remain underexplored, particularly in family medicine. More research and development of clearer guidelines, as well as enhanced collaboration between family and emergency physicians, could improve primary end-of-life care.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.