Impairments of Human Dignity at the End of Life Quantitatively Assessed by Health Care Professionals: A Pilot Study From Germany.

Background: Empirical investigations on health care professionals' (HCPs) perception of dignity have already spotted common themes in preserving dignity in end-of-life care. However, heterogenic assessment results of varying HCP groups exist. This pilot study wants to provide further evidence on HCPs' rating of dignity-impairing aspects based on a patient-centered concept, especially regarding different underlying job profiles and other professional characteristics.

[Human dignity and autonomy in medicoethical decisions at the end of life].

Respect of human dignity is an unquestionable part of daily clinical routine as well as of evaluations in medical ethics. Some aspects of human dignity are a subject of transformation in the course of a lifetime. If the ability to form a will is reduced, it might be difficult to satisfy the individual perception of a dignified treatment, which is of particular interest in terminal care.