Life & Death Decision Making
Fayetteville, AR, 1998
Physicians comparing terminal-care clinical experiences; schoolchildren strategizing their end-of-life health-care options; families learning about palliative medicine and their rights to home death care; survivors discovering the healing art of bereavement therapy-these were among the issues illuminated by Life & Death Decision Making, a project of the Washington Regional Medical Center (WRMC) Hospice and University of Arkansas Public Radio KUAF.
WRMC's four-phase public outreach activities examined low-cost funeral options, the nature of home hospice care, and bereavement support; developed and implemented an experimental heath-care decision-making education module for middle schools; and held public forums on palliative health care and end-of-life issues with a panel of physicians.
KUAF produced 28 investigative news reports and feature pieces aired on the weekly newsmagazine Ozarks At Large and Morning Edition. These were later distilled into a 14-part hour-long audio-documentary. KUAF also coordinated with area newspaper editors and television news directors to provide additional coverage.
Life & Death Decision Making reached a wide audience. The physician peer forums were well attended and intensely debated, determining the need for support and education for physicians and other staff regarding end-of-life care. One of the physicians is considering initiating a third- and fourth-year medical student rotation through WRMC Hospice.
The three public forums were well attended. Eighty-nine percent of the respondents said they learned new concepts about palliative care, particularly innovations and new thinking about pain management including terminal sedation. Multicultural concerns, brought up by the forums' focus group, will be addressed in the future by WRMC administrators who recognize the inadequacy of outreach among communities of color.
The provocative middle-school module, developed by a University of Arkansas sociology professor, was test-taught at an area middle school. This module holds promise as a national model. Students gained insight about living wills, organ donations, and end-of-life health care decision-making rights. The teachers and principal said that it made sense to incorporate the subject of end-of-life care into health and science curricula.
Contact Information
KUAF-FM
Jacqueline Froelich, Project Director
Tel: 501-575-6408
Washington Regional Medical Center (WRMC) Hospice
Caroline Lennox, Community Outreach Coordinator
Tel: 501-713-7385
Awards:
KUAF Round One
Life & Death Decision Making
First Place, Special Reports/Documentary
— Society of Professional Journalists, Arkansas Chapter
Third Place, Documentary
— Arkansas Press Women's Association