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Regarding the Unkind Death of Billie Belle
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
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Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
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IN RESPONSE:
Dr. Rousseau's concerns, published in a previous issue of Annals(1), regarding my negative portrayal of hospice care are valid. I agree that new physicians should view the performance of hospice in the episode I describe as a terrible aberration. In my own experiences, I have witnessed only the most laudable performances. Surely most practitioners who have used this invaluable service have also had overwhelmingly positive experiences. I very much doubt that their overall positive perceptions of hospice will be altered in any significant way by this particular sad episode. Nonetheless, it is my belief that we can always do better. As Dr. Rousseau points out, nonmedical offerings are important in a patient's final days. However, they will be better received and have more meaning to the dying if accompanied by appropriate doses of analgesia.
Drs. Tolle and Tilden also raise important end-of-life issues. Instructing young physicians in dealing with such delicate and difficult family decisions should have a higher priority. To debate whether this is a teachable skill is fruitless. Practitioners in a position to influence those new to our profession teach something by their own actions every day. We may as well teach properly by showing the more tactful and humane sides of our own natures when we encounter these particularly sensitive situations.
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
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