Educational Media Reviews Online

With all the marvels of our current technology and our ability to prolong life, real quality care is more dependent on the human interactions at the end of life rather than the technology – that is the major point of this video. Much of the content of the video was garnered from a number of patients who agreed to participate in a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation project entitled SUPPORT (The Study to Understand Prognoses and Preferences for Outcomes and Risks of Treatments). The focus of the video is to examine the issues and dilemmas that health care staff, patients and their families have to deal with in the end-of-life care environment. Loosely divided into four parts we are privy to the stories of six critically ill patients -from the young to the old. Through their stories and discussions with the family we are provided personal insight into the complex issues of ‘living with dying’. Major issues addressed are pain management, decision- making in the ever-present environment of ‘reality of resources verses family needs’, advanced directives, medical uncertainty and fallibility, and how our current health care system continuously places barriers in the way of providing humane, compassionate end-of-life care. Decidedly non-clinical, this video is another quality Fanlight Productions item and is appropriate for any collection with this topic focus. Highly recommended.