PURPOSE: This study is aimed to investigate perceptions of caregivers and medical staff toward do not resuscitate (DNR) and advance directives (AD). METHODS: Participants were 141 caregivers and 272 medical staff members from five general hospitals. A questionnaire used for the study consisted of 20 items: 14 about DNR perceptions, three about AD, one each for age, gender and employment. RESULTS: Both medical staff and caregivers strongly recognized the need for DNR and AD, and the level of recognition was higher with medical staff than caregivers (DNR chi2=44.56, P=0.001; AD chi2=16.23, P=0.001). The main reason for the recognition was to alleviate sufferings of patients in the terminal phase. In most cases, DNR and AD were filled out when patients with terminal conditions were admitted, and patients made the decisions by consulting with their guardians. Medical staff better recognized the need and for growing demand for guidelines for the DNR and AD decision making process than caregivers (chi2=7.41, P=0.0025). CONCLUSION: This study showed that patients highly rely on their caregivers when making decisions for DNR and AD. Thus, it is important that patients and caregivers are provided with objective information about the decisions. Since participants' strong support for DNR and AD was mainly aimed at alleviating patients' suffering, further study is needed in the association with hospice care. Medical staff also needs to understand the different views held by caregivers and fully consider the disparity when informing patients/caregivers to make the DNR and AD decisions.
Advance Directive Adherence ; Advance Directives ; Caregivers* ; Decision Making ; Employment ; Hospice Care ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Medical Staff* ; Personnel, Hospital ; Resuscitation Orders ; Surveys and Questionnaires

INTRODUCTIONThis study aims to determine the attitudes of Asian elderly patients towards invasive life support measures, the degree of patient-surrogate concordance in end-of-life decision making, the extent to which patients desire autonomy over end-of-life medical decisions, the reasons behind patients' and surrogates' decisions, and the main factors influencing patients' and surrogates' decision-making processes. We hypothesize that there is significant patient-surrogate discordance in end-of-life decision making in our community.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThe patient and surrogate were presented with a hypothetical scenario in which the patient experienced gradual functional decline in the community before being admitted for life-threatening pneumonia. It was explained that the outcome was likely to be poor even with intensive care and each patient-surrogate pair was subsequently interviewed separately on their opinions of extraordinary life support using a standardised questionnaire. Both parties were blinded to each other's replies.

RESULTSIn total, 30 patients and their surrogate decision-makers were interviewed. Twenty-eight (93.3%) patients and 20 (66.7%) surrogates rejected intensive care. Patient-surrogate concurrence was found in 20 pairs (66.7%). Twenty-four (80.0%) patients desired autonomy over their decision. The patients' and surrogates' top reasons for rejecting intensive treatment were treatment-related discomfort, poor prognosis and financial cost. Surrogates' top reasons for selecting intensive treatment were the hope of recovery, the need to complete final tasks and the sanctity of life.

CONCLUSIONThe majority of patients desire autonomy over critical care issues. Relying on the surrogates' decisions to initiate treatment may result in treatment against patients' wishes in up to one-third of critically ill elderly patients.

Advance Directive Adherence ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Attitude ; Critical Care ; psychology ; Critical Illness ; psychology ; therapy ; Decision Making ; Dissent and Disputes ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Personal Autonomy