A study published recently in The BMJ addressed a question with surefire media appeal: Does the political affiliation of doctors affect the quality of care that they provide to patients at the end of their lives?
The story was snapped up by news organizations ranging from US News and World Report to the UK Daily Mail. The study was also the subject of a USA Today op-ed by BMJ co-authors Druv Khullar, MD of Cornell University and Anupam Jena, MD, PhD of Harvard Medical School.
Their conclusion was a reassuring one: “Whatever a doctor’s political views, end-of-life care is the same.”