I think we all have a right to die the way we want. My biggest concern is whether many of our life-saving techniques just prolong a life of suffering. I have seen the agony that many times accompanies our heroic efforts to stem the force of Mother Nature.

Even if your state does not (yet) have a POLST option, consider documenting your preferences using other forms, like a living will, durable power of attorney for health care, and the like.

The barriers to effective advance care planning are numerous. It is imperative that we, as patients, health care providers and members of society, overcome these barriers and remain active in pursuing our personal values and goals.

Sadly, informed consent and shared decision-making, the twin pillars of patient-centered health care, aren't the rock-solid structures we would hope for. That's the lesson of a new study in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine.

It is well documented that although advance directives are offered and included in the medical chart -- as the law requires -- in the end they are usually ignored.

We need to determine for ourselves what our "bottom line" is. The question becomes: When is enough, enough?

New York City is a rich cultural, ethnic and religious tapestry, and those in my field must understand a complex set of traditions and beliefs before introducing conversations about death and dying.

A person's last days may still be off in the distant horizon, but the yearning for a death that honors the life and the determination to remain a free person is palpable when thoughts turn to life's end.

Compassion & Choices, the nation's largest and oldest nonprofit organization working to improve care and expand choice at the end of life, today marke...

I have written how recent changes to Ethical and Religious Directive (ERD) Number 58 compel Catholic hospitals and nursing homes to either disregard y...