Going beyond "bad news": A surgical case report and systematic review of the literature surrounding futile care

Introduction: Surgeons frequently deliver “bad news” to patients, but do they know how to address situations where further surgery is considered futile? Is there a clear definition of futile care in the literature? This paper explores these questions and seeks to start a conversation about how we can train future surgeons to deliver news of futile care. Presentation of case: This paper describes how one surgical team handled a difficult case of futile care and provides an interview from the perspective of a surgical resident. Discussion: The case report gives one example of how the news of futile care was delivered and how appropriate steps were taken to provide continued management of the patient and support to the family. A systematic review of the literature surrounding futile care reveals no consensus on how to define futile care within the medical community. Conclusion: There is a paucity of information surrounding how surgeons should manage cases of futile care. The literature focuses on the physician-patient relationship and includes methods for delivering bad news, yet it fails to identify a consensus definition of futile care and does not provide guidelines that future surgeons can follow when they encounter these cases. With this paper we seek to open a discussion about how to define futile care and how to teach future surgeons best practices when managing these cases