Objective: Futile treatment, which by definition cannot benefit a patient, is undesirable. This research investigated why doctors believe that treatment which they consider to be futile is sometimes provided at the end of a patient's life.Design: Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews.Setting:...

Despite the potential harm to patients (and others) and the financial cost of providing futile treatment at the end of life, this practice occurs. This article reports on empirical research undertaken in Queensland that explores doctors' perceptions about the law that governs futile treatment at...

Objective(s): To describe how doctors define and use the terms “futility” and “futile treatment” in end-of-life care.Design, Setting, Participants: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 96 doctors across a range of specialties who treat adults at the end of life....