Few countries offer a good place to die, researchers say

Duke University conducted a survey, which was published recently in The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, in which it ranked 81 countries on how well their health systems provided for "the physical and mental wellbeing of patients at the end-of-life".

Only six countries received A grades, while 36 countries earned D's and F's.

Where did the United States rank in this study?  
The US ranked 43 out of 81 countries, they earned a C.

What does this say about how, as a society, we regard End-of-Life?  Do we give it the honor and respect that it deserves?

"Society should also be judged on how well people die," says Eric Finkelstein, a palliative care expert and professor with Duke-NUS and the Duke Global Health Institute in Durham, North Carolina, who led the study.

"Many individuals in both the developed and developing world die very badly -- not at their place of choice, without dignity, or compassion, with a limited understanding about their illness, after spending down much of their savings, and often with regret about their course of treatment. These things are very common."

Together, let's learn how to "do death differently".

Few countries offer a good place to die, researchers say