End-of-Life Futility Conversations: When Language Matters

Futility is a term that is distressing for many, but it is a concept that merits revisiting for its normative, empirical, and ethical value in understanding end-of-life issues. Ethical concerns surrounding aggressive care and the suffering of patients at end of life are frequently cited as significant ethical issues within institutional settings, leading to clinicians’ moral distress. The author responds to the essay on “The Abuse of Futility” by Schneiderman, Jecker, and Jonsen (2017), who support the continual use of futility language with patients and families. Others, however, suggest a reexamination of its usage. Concepts are not static, but the reconceptualization of futility language requires further clarification and analysis of how newer terms impact the patients and families who rely on their clinicians for expert care and compassion at end of life.