Barriers that predict resistance to completing a living will.
We sought to identify perceived barriers and benefits to completing living wills for 176 medical outpatients or their family members, using a questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model.  The regression equation of the patient data identified two items that functioned as significant barriers: "I am not very interested in a living will because I believe that I will live a lot longer," and "Completing a living will now is difficult because I would likely change my mind about how I want to be managed during terminal illness."  No variables remained in the equation when family member data were analyzed.  We conclude that a major barrier to the completion of living wills (and perhaps advance directives generally) is that they connote personal death.  Implications are explored.
Vandecreek
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Departments of Family Medicine and Neurology, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
Frankowski
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D
D000328:Adult; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016224:Living Wills; D008297:Male; D010361:Patients; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035501:Uncertainty