Would graphic videos change your mind about end of life care?

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Podcasts Take Two

Nov 3, 2014

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Would graphic videos change your mind about end of life care?

The thinking behind a Harvard Med School doctor's videos is that letting people see what is involved with these procedures will influence their decisions about what they want for themselves and their loved ones.

LAKEWOOD, CO - SEPTEMBER 01: Hospice volunteers caress the hands of terminally ill patient Annabelle Martin, 95, as her health quickly declined at the Hospice of Saint John on September 1, 2009 in Lakewood, Colorado. The non-profit hospice, which serves on average 200 people at a time, is the second oldest hospice in the United States. The hospice accepts patients regardless of their ability to pay, although most are covered by Medicare or Medicaid. End of life care has become a contentious issue in the current national debate on health care reform. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Annabelle Martin

The thinking behind a Harvard Med School doctor's videos is that letting people see what is involved with these procedures will influence their decisions about what they want for themselves and their loved ones.

A Harvard Med School doctor has produced a series of videos that graphically demonstrate what it means to be intubated, get a feeding tube, and other aggressive end-of-life measures.

The thinking is that letting people see what is involved with these procedures will influence their decisions about what they want for themselves and their loved ones.

SCPR’s Stephanie O’Neill reports.