Understanding intensive care experiences and end-of-life wishes

This research study invites people who have spent time in an intensive care unit to share their personal experiences and thoughts about end-of-life care. The study aims to understand how patients' memories of intensive care — both the difficult moments and the fears they felt — influence whether they would want intensive care treatment in the future if their chances of survival were low. By listening to patients' real stories, researchers hope to help doctors make better decisions about when intensive care treatment is truly helpful.

Many patients who survive intensive care report frightening and distressing memories, including pain, fear, and feeling helpless. Doctors need to understand whether the burden of these experiences — especially for patients with low survival chances — is worth the treatment being offered. This study exists to help answer the difficult question: when is intensive care treatment ethically right for a patient?