Tourneret, Magali <br/><br/>
The Limitations to Decisions Made by Emergency Room Staff. An Exploratory Qualitative Study 

 -  2009.<br/>							 
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<br/><br/> During the last decade, end-of-life care has become a public health issue in France. The objective of this study is to give an account of the limitations to decisions made by emergency room staff. An analysis was conducted to better understand the practices and the rational decision-making processes undergone by two emergency room teams. A total of 23 interviews (22 individual interviews and 1 focus group) were conducted with doctors, nurses, nursing auxiliaries, and members of families. Based on the recommendations of the French Society for Emergency Healthcare, we examine the place of the doctor, the healthcare team, the family, and the patient in these decisions. The study reveals that beyond general principles approved by healthcare professionals, it is now the practical implementation of these recommendations that is necessary if we are to see a change in practice.