Knowledge and Practice of Medical Futility by Intensive Care Professionals

Recent technical and scientific advances in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) have introduced new ethical challenges for health professionals, particularly concerning the practice of medical futility. This study aimed to assess ICU professionals’ knowledge of medical futility and its occurrence within their clinical settings. A quantitative survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered to healthcare professionals in two ICUs. Only 59% of participants were familiar with the concept of medical futility, 44.8% admitted to witnessing futile interventions in their workplace, and 38.5% acknowledged having performed them. The partial understanding of the concept, along with the admission of its practice, underscores the need to promote the inclusion of this topic in both undergraduate and postgraduate curricula. Such efforts would help prevent the implementation of futile interventions, thereby safeguarding patient well-being and upholding their autonomy.