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Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 11/2018

Open Access 01-11-2018 | Original Article

Muslim physicians and palliative care: attitudes towards the use of palliative sedation

Authors: George Muishout, Hanneke W. M. van Laarhoven, Gerard Wiegers, Ulrike Popp-Baier

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 11/2018

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Abstract

Background

Muslim norms concerning palliative sedation can differ from secular and non-Muslim perceptions. Muslim physicians working in a Western environment are expected to administer palliative sedation when medically indicated. Therefore, they can experience tension between religious and medical norms.

Objective

To gain insight into the professional experiences of Muslim physicians with palliative sedation in terms of religious and professional norms.

Design

Interpretative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews to take a closer look at the experiences of Muslim physicians with palliative sedation. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed by means of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Participants

Ten Muslim physicians, working in the Netherlands, with professional experience of palliative sedation.

Results

Two main themes were identified: professional self-concept and attitudes towards death and dying. Participants emphasized their professional responsibility when making treatment decisions, even when these contravened the prevalent views of Islamic scholars. Almost all of them expressed the moral obligation to fight their patients’ pain in the final stage of life. Absence of acceleration of death was considered a prerequisite for using palliative sedation by most participants.

Conclusions

Although the application of palliative sedation caused friction with their personal religious conceptions on a good death, participants followed a comfort-oriented care approach corresponding to professional medical standards. All of them adopted efficient strategies for handling of palliative sedation morally and professionally. The results of this research can contribute to and provide a basis for the emergence of new, applied Islamic ethics regarding palliative sedation.
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Metadata
Title
Muslim physicians and palliative care: attitudes towards the use of palliative sedation
Authors
George Muishout
Hanneke W. M. van Laarhoven
Gerard Wiegers
Ulrike Popp-Baier
Publication date
01-11-2018
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 11/2018
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4229-7

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