Seniors Who Don't Want Dialysis Often Pressured to Get It

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found seniors with renal failure are often pressured by their doctors to get dialysis against their wishes, reports Reuters Health . The researchers traced the records of 851 veterans, average age 75, who chose to forgo dialysis. They learned some doctors repeatedly steered seniors toward dialysis using various tactics to change their minds, while doctors facing intransigence questioned the seniors' mental competence. In another scenario, doctors concluded that dialysis was inappropriate without discussing that decision with the beneficiary, while in a third instance those who refused dialysis were told that their doctor had little to offer in way of alternatives. The researchers think physician training may underlie the difficulty in accepting seniors' decision to skip dialysis. The study stresses the need for doctors to take the beneficiary's age into consideration when making dialysis recommendations, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Professor Albert Wu.