Komfortfällen

Komfortfällen, literally “comfort cases” in German, is a term used in German-language healthcare discourse to describe cases in which the primary objective is patient comfort and quality of life rather than pursuing curative therapies.

The term is not a formal clinical category, but a discourse label that appears in medical ethics discussions, hospital policy documents, and nursing literature. It denotes a shift from aggressive treatment to comfort-oriented care, often within palliative or hospice contexts.

Typical contexts include transition to palliative care, symptom management, advance care planning, and decisions about goals of care, such as do-not-resuscitate orders or withdrawal of invasive treatments when prognosis is limited.

Scholarly and professional debates emphasize the need for clear communication, patient autonomy, and culturally appropriate definitions of comfort. Critics warn that ambiguity in what constitutes “comfort” can lead to inconsistent application or stigmatization.

In policy and practice, Komfortfällen inform care pathways, clinician training in goals-of-care discussions, and documentation standards to record patient preferences and anticipated outcomes.

Related topics include palliative care, end-of-life care, advance directives, and goals of care planning.