Mechanisms described by the Steering Committee for Appropriate End-of-Life Care
| 1 | Death is not a common topic of conversation |
| 2 | ‘Never give up’ is the default attitude in our society |
| 3 | Action is better than inaction |
| 4 | Professional guidelines focus on ‘action’ |
| 5 | Education focuses on ‘action’ |
| 6 | Physicians are payed for treatment |
| 7 | With so many care providers and so little coordination, who is responsible? |
| 8 | No holistic view of the patient |
| 9 | Medical perspectives often still take priority when it comes to making treatment decisions |
| 10 | Palliative care is initiated too late |
| 11 | Discussing possible refusal of treatment is more time-consuming |
| 12 | To talk about death is difficult |
| 13 | Uncertainty about what to tell patients |
| 14 | The great unknown: patients' culture and outlook on life influences their perception of death |
| 15 | People document their wishes and preferences regarding end-of-life care too late, and often not (thorough enough) |