Consent for the discontinuation of life-prolonging treatment in cancer patients: a retrospective comparative analysis before and after the enforcement of the Life Extension Medical Decision law
Abstract Background The Life Extension Medical Decision law enacted on February 4, 2018 in South Korea was the first to consider the suspension of nonsensical life-prolonging treatment, and its enactment raised big controversy in Korean society. However, there is no study on whether the actual life-prolonging treatment for patients has decreased after enforcing the law. This study aimed to compare the provision of patient consent before and after the enforcement of the law among cancer patients who visited a tertiary university hospital's emergency room to understand the effects of the law on cancer patients' clinical care. Methods This retrospective single cohort study included advanced cancer patients over 19 years of age who visited the emergency room at a tertiary university hospital. The two study periods were as follows: from February 2017 to January 2018 (before) and from May 2018 to April 2019 (after). The primary outcome was the average length of hospital stay. The consent rate for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), intubation, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were the secondary outcomes. Results The average length of hospital stay decreased after the law was enforced, from 4 days to 2 days (p= 0.001). The rates of direct transfers to secondary and nursing hospitals increased from 8.2% to 21.2% (p=0.001) and from 1.0% to 9.7%, respectively (p<0.001). The rate of provision of consent for admission to the ICU decreased from 6.7% to 2.3% (p=0.032). For CPR and CRRT, the rate of provision of consent decreased from 1.0% to 0.0% and from 13.9% to 8.8%, respectively, but the differences were not significant (p=0.226 and p=0.109, respectively). Conclusion According to previous research, for patients wishing only conservative treatment, the reduction in hospital stays at tertiary hospitals ultimately reduces the physical, emotional, financial burdens and also improves the quality of end-of-life at home or in a hospice facility. In this context, this research ultimately show that the purpose of the LEMD law has been achieved. Further research in several hospitals including those patients who completed the consent after hospitalization is needed to generalize the clinical implication of the LEMD law.