[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 6, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WHY DOCTORS DIE DIFFERENTLY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Recently, there has been a series of very powerful 
articles in the popular press about what we call ``end of life.'' The 
most recent was by Dr. Ken Murray in The Wall Street Journal last week, 
entitled, ``Why Doctors Die Differently.'' This series of articles 
focuses in on this end of life period--usually the most intense, the 
most painful, the most expensive. It's too often confusing for patients 
and their families. Too often, we find that people don't get the care 
they want and they need.
  This has been a passion of mine for years now to make sure that 
families and patients are equipped to deal with the end of life. It was 
my legislation that was in the health care reform that was, 
unfortunately, not in the final legislation because the reconciliation 
process wouldn't allow the Senate to consider it in the House bill. 
We're working on it again with legislation entitled Personalize Your 
Health Care, H.R. 1589, to make sure that these provisions that are 
strongly supported by the public finally become law.
  I think, perhaps, the best case that I have seen for this legislation 
is found by Dr. Murray in his article, ``Why Doctors Die Differently.'' 
It is a simple, powerful, two-page statement explaining the hows and 
whys.
  Doctors actually do pass away, but they pass away differently. What 
is interesting is that, of these who are well off and connected to the 
medical care profession, it's not how much health care they get in 
their final months but actually how little. They do have more 
information than the average member of the public. They know their 
choices, and they act to make sure that their choices are respected. 
Doctors are more than three times likely than the average member of the 
public to have an advance directive that instructs families, doctors, 
hospitals how they want to be treated. That percentage is even higher 
for older doctors.
  They know, for instance, in their last moments, most doctors don't 
want CPR performed on them. Unlike on television, where 75 percent of 
the CPR instances that the American public watches are successful and 
patients go on to lead happy, normal lives, doctors know that after the 
ribs are broken, which is what happens normally in CPR that's done 
properly, that fewer than 8 percent live even another month.
  Doctors understand the facts. They tell their families. It's probably 
not accurate to say they get less care, but what is accurate is they 
get different care. They're more likely to use hospice services. 
They're more likely to have palliative care to make sure in their final 
moments they're not in pain. They're less likely to have invasive, 
painful, expensive treatment, particularly if they don't want it, 
because they've taken care of making sure that their wishes are known 
and respected.
  Now, I don't want everybody to ``die like a doctor,'' but I do want 
everybody to have the knowledge and the power so that their wishes, 
whatever they are, are respected. It is time that Congress passes 
legislation to make sure the American public has the information and 
that their wishes, whatever their wishes may be, are respected, because 
those final months or weeks or days of life deserve to be gentle, 
thoughtful, respectful, and people having whatever care they and their 
families want.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to look at H.R. 1589, Personalize Your 
Health Care.

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