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Previous Volume 350:7-8 January 1, 2004 Number 1 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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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. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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From Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School — both in Boston.

Related Letters:

Advance Care Planning
Hanchett J. M., Powell T., Gillick M. R.
Extract | Full Text | PDF  
N Engl J Med 2004; 350:1470-1471, Apr 1, 2004. Correspondence

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