Terms used by physicians when deciding to withhold treatment for older patients not having received palliative care in an acute geriatric care unit

Key summary points Aim The objective of the present study was to analyze the terms used in medical records to refer to the withholding of treatment for patients who died in an AGCU and did not receive palliative care. Main findings We discovered 11 key concepts with regard to the withholding of treatment: treatment limitation, no resuscitation, withholding diagnostic procedures, justification of care, ethical considerations, disease progression, uncertainty, the patient’s wishes, the family’s wishes, patient comfort, and collegiality. The way in which key concepts were described varied markedly from one physician to another. Message The broad variety of key concepts and differences in the choice of words highlight the need for standardized terms.