Abstract
The Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment
for Patients at the End of Life (ELDA) was passed by the Korean National
Assembly in 2016 and came into effect in 2018. Although the stated purpose of
the act is to uphold patient autonomy and dignity in the context of end-of-life
(EOL) care, its utilization remains low, with only some 40% of EOL decisions
reflecting patients’ direct opinions. This study aims to pinpoint areas for
enhancing ELDA by comparing it with similar systems in other countries and
gathering expert opinions. To achieve this, we reviewed ELDA, compared it with
EOL care systems in Taiwan, Japan, the UK, the US, and Germany, and surveyed
Korean medical experts to collect their thoughts on how ELDA might be improved.
On this basis, we make several recommendations, including broadening the scope
of ELDA, bolstering the role of advance directives, and providing education for
healthcare professionals. These recommendations are expected to increase the
utilization rate of ELDA and enhance the quality of EOL care in South Korea.
Funder
Ministry of Health and Welfare
Publisher
The Korean Society for Medical Ethics
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