Where are the Qualitative Methods in FCT? Leveraging End-of-life Data to Explore Future Agendas

• In Event: Fundamental Cause Theory at 30: Rethinking Health Inequities

Abstract

Thirty years in, Fundamental Cause Theory is suffering from a dearth of qualitative studies. The case of end-of-life offers leverage for explaining how actors manage a shifting calculus wherein additional healthcare may provide rescue but too much invites risk for adverse events. Relinquishing curative care in favor of hospice offers protection from adverse events, and scholars observe a robust negative association between socioeconomic status and adverse events at end-of-life. Drawing on a decade of research data, I examine how diverse actors mobilize flexible resources to assess risks and benefits of curative medicine and to curate their care environment accordingly. Examination of these pathways refines our knowledge of fundamental cause theory, late life stratification, and medical decision making.

Author

• Karen Lutfey Spencer, University of Colorado-Denver