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Abstract
End-of-life (EOL) decisions made by and for elderly patients often perpetuate unwanted suffering at great expense. Recent efforts to improve the decision-making process have been ineffective. In this article, we argue that Babrow's (1992, 1995) problematic integration (PI) theory can enhance understandings of flaws in EOL decisions. Face-to-face interviews of 142 elderly hernodialysis patients were con- ducted to test predictions derived from the theory. Results supported the prediction that doctors would often fail to disclose the need for dialysis until a decision had to be made.
