Healthcare Practice in the Facing Death Documentary

The 2010 documentary “Facing Death” gives an unflinching look at the modern ICU and the complicated realities of dying in a high-tech healthcare system. The documentary, shot at Mount Sinai Hospital, reveals the deeply personal, emotional, and ethical concerns that patients, families, and healthcare providers face when confronted with end-of-life decisions (FRONTLINE PBS, Official, 2023). At the centre of this issue is advance care planning since the majority of patients cannot communicate their wishes after being admitted to intensive care: Healthcare Practice in the Facing Death Documentary.

Without clear directives, families find themselves in a position to make life-altering decisions under coercion and emotional distress. Facilitation of early completion of end-of-life preferences through advance directives and healthcare proxy appointments can reduce conflict and enable patient autonomy.

Notably, medical practitioners in the film grapple with the psychological weight of extending life in the face of terminal illness, particularly where results are unclear. Doctors confess difficulty in withholding treatment after interventions have been initiated, lest they abandon hope earlier than necessary. The technology of advanced life support complicates decisions, as it becomes all too simple to opt for procedures at the expense of comfort.

This reflects a lack of medical education, and indeed in communication skills, palliative care, and ethical decision-making (Akdeniz et al., 2021). Teaching clinicians how to have empathetic, informed discussions with families is essential to fulfilling the duty to preserve lives while being tied up with the need to reduce suffering.

Policy-wise, the documentary stresses the immense economic cost of prolonged ICU treatment, estimated at $20-$25 billion annually. These statistics challenge the sustainability and effectiveness of intensive end-of-life treatment that is unlikely to improve quality of life. According to Alanazi et al. (2024), enhanced access to palliative and hospice care and their incorporation earlier in patient treatment streams is bound to reduce futile treatments and maximize dignity. Finally, Facing Death needs a cultural and system shift toward patient values-respecting care, family caregiver-supportive care, and practice-based on both ethical and economic demands.

References

Akdeniz, M., Yardımcı, B., & Kavukcu, E. (2021). Ethical considerations at the end-of-life care. SAGE Open Medicine, 9(9). https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121211000918

Alanazi, M. A., Shaban, M. M., Elsayed, M., Zaky, M. E., Mohammed, H. H., Amer, M., & Shaban, M. (2024). Navigating end-of-life decision-making in nursing: A systematic review of ethical challenges and palliative care practices. BMC Nursing, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02087-5

FRONTLINE PBS, Official. (2023, May 2). Facing Death (full documentary) | FRONTLINE [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDvR5FBqI_s

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Watch the documentary, Facing Death [53:40].

In a minimum of 250 words, discuss healthcare practice/policy implications you found. Consider the perspectives of patients, family caregivers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare policy makers.

Healthcare Practice in the Facing Death Documentary