Assessing quality of life

Quality of Life in End of Life Decision Making

A crucial part of end of life decision making is evaluating an animals quality of life, which frequently appears during MMI interviews. It entails determining if the animal is having more good days than bad days by weighing clinical results against the owners observations.

What Is Included in Assessing Animal Life Quality

The general physical and mental health of the animal is examined in terms of quality of life. It is dependent on a number of variables rather than simply one symptom, including:

• Pain intensity
• Mobility
• Appetite and hydration
• Changes in behaviour
• Joy of life
• Capacity to carry out normal tasks

Quality of Life Tools

To help with objective evaluations, veterinarians utilise QoL tools.
They think about:

• Clinical assessment
• Owner observations
• Prognosis
• Ethics and laws
• Balance of pleasure and pain

How to Prepare for a Question on This in an MMI

1. Demonstrate knowledge of ethical balance. Interviewers are looking for evidence that you understand the complexity and its rarely black and white.

2. Make use of formal language. Outline the clinical signs, behavioural signs, function, emotional wellbeing, owner observations and what this concludes.

3. Refer to quality of life tools.

4. When role playing ask questions and acknowledge the owners emotions.

5. Prepare phrases for roleplaying station.

6. Be prepared to defend judgement about euthanasia.