Question

How could you paraphrase or rewrite this one:

Sulmasy and Mueller review the confusing ethical landscape of end-of-life care, including physicians' duties to honor patients' decisions to stop or forego lifesaving treatments and to medicate pain even if pain medication might shorten life. However, the authors emphasize that terminal illness brings many kinds of suffering: not only physical pain and clinical depression that should be addressed medically, but also spiritual and existential suffering that seldom can be addressed medically and that perhaps should not be seen as projects for physicians to undertake.

Answer 1

Sulmasy and mueller find the end of life scenario confusing. On one hand, physician has to honour patient’ decision to stop or avoid lifesaving treatments and on the other hand in administering pain medication even if that medication might shorten life. Terminal illness brings sufferings not only physical pain and clinical depression but also spiritual and existential suffering. And these non clinical sufferings are seldom addressed and neither seen as aspect to be taken care of.