Refusal of Medical and Surgical Interventions Common Among Chronically Ill Elderly

Chronically ill older persons frequently refuse medical and surgical interventions recommended by their physicians, according to a recent study by Yale School of Medicine researchers. The study suggests that physicians continue to recommend invasive or risky interventions for people with advanced illness despite the patient’s view that these treatments may be too burdensome, or that the treatment doesn’t fit with their goals of care.