The Western medical model often strives relentlessly to combat illness, aging, and death without establishing well-defined boundaries. This approach can result in potentially excessive treatments, especially towards the end of life, leading to suffering, squandered resources, and unnecessary costs. We endorse the notion that reintroducing the concept of limits and finitude into medical practice is pivotal. Engaging in discussions about death with our patients, working on hope, setting boundaries, and implementing a quality-of-life approach early on are all integral to ensuring that medicine remains accessible to the needs of future generations.
What is already known about this topic?
Sustainable development is a fundamental challenge for our society, which applies to medicine.
What does this article bring up for us?
Learning to integrate finitude and limits into our medical practice is one of the keys to sustainable medicine.
Keywords
Limits, finitude, sustainable medicine, quality-of-life, resources