(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — An increasing number of South Koreans are choosing not to get life-sustaining treatment at the terminal phase of their lives.
The National Agency for Management of Life-Sustaining Treatment said that more than 1.4 million South Koreans have registered advance medical directives as of late last month, up 26 percent from last year.
Refusing life-sustaining treatments so that patients can “die with dignity” became legal under a law in February 2018, allows anyone over 19 years of age to submit advance medical directives in case they become incapable of making decisions on the issue due to various reasons.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs of 182 cancer patients at a local hospital showed that “family” scored a relatively high 2.91 points out of 4 on the Likert scale in terms of influencing the patient’s decision on life-sustaining treatment.
Usually, better family function resulted in a more positive view on submitting the intent on life-sustaining treatment in advance, reflecting South Korea’s family-oriented, mutually dependent culture, as is the case with other East Asian nations.
Specifically, the prior decision on life-sustaining treatment was more likely if “family adjustment,” a sub-factor of the family function category, was stronger.
The “family adjustment” factor refers to the exchange and engagement between the patient and his/her family in deciding upon life-sustaining treatment.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
