End-of-life care: a Saudi Arabian perspective
Authors: Azzah Al-Jabarti , Ali S Al-Shareef , Faisal Aseeri
Abstract
End-of-life care (EOLC) care is a unique specialty consisting of comprehensive multidisciplinary healthcare delivery to patients with a wide range of terminal illnesses. However, this form of care raises many ethical questions, and some religions disregard several actions of EOLC. While a complete understanding of all faiths is challenging for a busy healthcare professional, a good grasp of the major religions is essential. In this review paper, we focus on the ethical dilemmas of EOLC in Saudi Arabia from an Islamic perspective, emphasizing the ethics of the right of care. This review helps to demonstrate that the literature on EOLC is global and yet inconclusive in some areas. In Saudi Arabia, there are now more than 15 comprehensive cancer centers with palliative care units. Palliative care is becoming increasingly relevant in the Kingdom as the number of patients diagnosed with severe life-threatening illnesses rises. Despite this, healthcare practitioners' awareness of palliative care remains limited.Keywords: End-of-Life Care (EOLC), Palliative care, Islamic Perspective, Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), Physician-Assisted Suicide
Pubmed Style
Azzah Al-Jabarti, Ali S Al-Shareef, Faisal Aseeri. End-of-life care: a Saudi Arabian perspective. SJE Med. 2021; 01 (September 2021): 268-271. doi:10.24911/SJEMed/72-1619991630
Publication History
Received: May 02, 2021
Accepted: August 22, 2021
Published: September 01, 2021
Authors
Azzah Al-Jabarti
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Emergency Medicine Consultant, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Ali S Al-Shareef
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Emergency Medicine Consultant, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Faisal Aseeri
College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Boston university, Boston, MA, USA.