Hospitals Giving 'Death Test' to Seniors

Johnboy60

Looking For Interesting News.
Dec 28, 2003
15,455
3,130
Tennessee
✟306,929.00
Country
United States
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Seniors had better brace themselves: Some US hospitals are now administering the "death test," which estimates their chance of dying over the next 30 days. Invented in Australia, the test weighs 29 different criteria—including blood pressure, respiratory rate, and medical history—to determine whether hospitalization is worthwhile or the patient should return home or go to a hospice, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The idea is to prevent needless and expensive procedures while allowing patients to spend their last days with loved ones. "Most terminally ill people want to die at home, but in fact three quarters end up dying in acute hospitals, often after intrusive, expensive and ultimately pointless medical procedures," says study author Magnolia Cardona-Morrell, the Independent reports.

Some US Hospitals Giving 'Death Test' to Seniors
 

Glass*Soul

Senior Veteran
May 14, 2005
6,394
927
✟31,902.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Do the patients get absolutely no say in whether or not they can receive hospital care? Not everyone who's ailing is ready to go home and die. Sheesh.

Patients have some say, but one has to be admitted by a doctor. One can't have a hospital stay simply by asking for it, but one can indeed ask one's doctor to admit them and the doctor will then decide if it is warranted.

I think the idea behind this is not denying hospital care for those who would benefit, but holding back from enforcing a hospital stay on someone who is terminally ill, will probably be dying soon despite hospital care, and would do better being at home during their last days than in a hospital bed. That was my own mother's situation.
 
Upvote 0

faroukfarouk

Fading curmudgeon
Apr 29, 2009
35,902
17,177
Canada
✟279,058.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
What I find strange is Christians who, on hearing that a 90 year old has passed away after a long illness, say something like: "The ways of God are mysterious".

Obviously hospitals try to ascertain the likely outcome of a very old person's hospital stay.
 
Upvote 0

Inkachu

Bursting with fruit flavor!
Jan 31, 2008
35,357
4,217
Somewhere between Rivendell and Rohan
✟62,966.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Patients have some say, but one has to be admitted by a doctor. One can't have a hospital stay simply by asking for it, but one can indeed ask one's doctor to admit them and the doctor will then decide if it is warranted.

I think the idea behind this is not denying hospital care for those who would benefit, but holding back from enforcing a hospital stay on someone who is terminally ill, will probably be dying soon despite hospital care, and would do better being at home during their last days than in a hospital bed. That was my own mother's situation.

That's not how the article portrays the policy. It doesn't mention the patient having any say in the decision; rather, the hospital gets to decide if the person should remain hospitalized or sent home/to hospice to die. It sounds like the decision lies solely with the hospital.

Granted, I haven't seen any actual policies so I can't comment on whatever actual wording is in there. It would be nice if the article had a reference we could all see for ourselves.
 
Upvote 0
S

stellalunaCW

Guest
It's worth following the link trail from pseudo-news sources to actual news sources.

CriSTAL test determines likelihood of death within 30 days

"Dr Cardona-Morrel said the test was designed to help doctors begin a conversation with terminally ill patients, particularly elderly patients, as to whether they would like to continue to receive treatment and where they would prefer to die."
 
Upvote 0

nightflight

Veteran
Mar 13, 2006
9,221
2,655
Your dreams.
✟30,570.00
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Yea!

The chances that my last days will be the subtle torture of hopeless medical procedures while confined to a hospital has decreased.

That's one scenario. I can imagine more sinister ones.

Hope I'm wrong! ^_^
 
Upvote 0

Inkachu

Bursting with fruit flavor!
Jan 31, 2008
35,357
4,217
Somewhere between Rivendell and Rohan
✟62,966.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
It's worth following the link trail from pseudo-news sources to actual news sources.

CriSTAL test determines likelihood of death within 30 days

"Dr Cardona-Morrel said the test was designed to help doctors begin a conversation with terminally ill patients, particularly elderly patients, as to whether they would like to continue to receive treatment and where they would prefer to die."

I hope that's what it is. But why wouldn't that have been what was being done already? In other words, how is this something new? That sounds like what we've always done in the past anyway.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

whatbogsends

Senior Veteran
Aug 29, 2003
10,370
8,314
Visit site
✟280,829.00
Faith
Atheist
I hope that's what it is. But why wouldn't that have been what was being done already? In other words, how is this something new? That sounds like what we've always done in the past anyway.

Because we have a for-profit health care system. Hospitals and their respective administrations aren't tasked with minimizing health care costs, they are tasked with maximizing profit.

Just like pharmaceutical companies aren't tasked with finding cures for diseases, they are tasked with maximizing profit for shareholders, which is primarily accomplished by increasing the number of users of their medications. Which explains the focus on medications which relieve symptoms rather than address the root cause of the problem.

Profit is a necessary incentive for most markets (although even then, it creates situations like planned obsolescence or designing products to have a limited life-span, to increase re-purchasing of items on a more frequent basis). I don't believe it's a good incentive for the health-care industry, which should be more focused on effective treatment and minimizing costs.
 
Upvote 0
S

stellalunaCW

Guest
I hope that's what it is. But why wouldn't that have been what was being done already? In other words, how is this something new? That sounds like what we've always done in the past anyway.

Undoubtedly there are some doctors that speak frankly with their patients, but I don't find it hard to believe that in this current age--with all of our technological advances--that people are being treated "at all costs" even if they are very old and have terminal conditions. This just sounds like a standardized way of talking to patients about some difficult end-of-life issues.

No one wants to think about death, people are afraid of it, people will go to great lengths to avoid it...it's not a very good situation, honestly. Coincidentally, a friend recently posted on FB asking for prayer for her 94yo great-grandmother. The older woman was having hip replacement and "sometimes gets confused about things." I admit it, I judged. I thought "Really? Hip replacement for a 94yo woman who may or may not know what's going on all the time?" This certainly wasn't a terminal situation, so it's somewhat off topic, but I'm not sure 94 years of age is appropriate for replacement of anything.
 
Upvote 0

keith99

sola dosis facit venenum
Jan 16, 2008
22,882
6,552
71
✟317,648.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Single
I hope that's what it is. But why wouldn't that have been what was being done already? In other words, how is this something new? That sounds like what we've always done in the past anyway.

Probably what is new is merely a battery of tests that triggers the process IF it has otherwise been missed.

For many older patients the signs may not be obvious from a look.
 
Upvote 0

cow451

Standing with Ukraine.
Supporter
May 29, 2012
41,108
24,128
Hot and Humid
✟1,120,276.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Undoubtedly there are some doctors that speak frankly with their patients, but I don't find it hard to believe that in this current age--with all of our technological advances--that people are being treated "at all costs" even if they are very old and have terminal conditions. This just sounds like a standardized way of talking to patients about some difficult end-of-life issues.

No one wants to think about death, people are afraid of it, people will go to great lengths to avoid it...it's not a very good situation, honestly. Coincidentally, a friend recently posted on FB asking for prayer for her 94yo great-grandmother. The older woman was having hip replacement and "sometimes gets confused about things." I admit it, I judged. I thought "Really? Hip replacement for a 94yo woman who may or may not know what's going on all the time?" This certainly wasn't a terminal situation, so it's somewhat off topic, but I'm not sure 94 years of age is appropriate for replacement of anything.

I've heard nurses talk of "90-year old dementia patients" getting new hips because Medicare will pay for it. The surgery will not result in a positive change in quality of life when the patient isn't capable of rehab. The surgery alone hastens death, IMO.:doh:
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

cow451

Standing with Ukraine.
Supporter
May 29, 2012
41,108
24,128
Hot and Humid
✟1,120,276.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
I'm sure you're right on all counts.

When under general anesthesia, one is in a "medically induced" coma. Most people mistakenly think of it as taking a nap.
 
Upvote 0