Emergency department and intensive care unit health professionals' knowledge and application of the law that applies to end-of-life decision-making for adults: A scoping review of the literature.

Background: Laws that regulate healthcare practice at the end of life reflect the values of the society where they apply. Traditionally, healthcare professionals rely on their clinical knowledge to inform treatment decisions, but the extent to which the law also informs health professionals' decision-making at the end of life is uncertain.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe what healthcare professionals working in emergency departments and intensive care units know about the law that relates to end-of-life decision-making for hospitalised adults and what affects its application.