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One hundred years ago, the odds that a visit to the doctor would result in a measurable improvement in a patient's condition were slim. But the mere fact that modern physicians are far more likely to be able to influence the course of illness in a particular way does not mean that patients necessarily want them to do so. Patients who are near the end of life often prefer treatment that is focused exclusively on comfort; frail elderly patients may choose to trade longevity for quality of life. Although patients have long been able to refuse burdensome treatment, the U.S. . . .
Muriel R. Gillick (Wed,) studied this question.