title: Advance directives on hospital admission: a survey of patient attitudes.
abstract: A survey of 200 outpatients using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire revealed that 18% had already completed an advance directive. Only 5% had received information concerning advance directives from their physicians. Eighty-seven percent stated they would not be offended if, on admission to the hospital, they were to be asked whether they had completed a living will. Eighty-eight percent would view such a policy as showing evidence of positive concern by the hospital on their behalf. Only 2% consistently gave a negative response to a proposed policy of hospitals providing information concerning advance directives on admission, and a similar percentage was totally opposed to their use. Of those who had completed an advance directive, 50% had secured the only copy in a safety deposit box. This information, as well as the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990, which will as of December 1, 1991 require hospitals to provide patients with information about advance directives, creates a new framework for the more efficient use of these important but underused documents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Broadwell
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Boisaubin
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Engelhardt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016223:Advance Directives / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D016519:Hospitals, Religious; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010343:Patient Admission; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas