Compliance with and understanding of advance directives among trainee doctors in the United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate doctors' response to and understanding of the legal status of advance directives.


METHODS
A vignette-based study administered at palliative medicine, oncology, general practice, and geriatric medicine specialist registrar meetings (United Kingdom). Respondents determined the treatment to provide for a patient presenting with a myocardial infarction with or without an advance directive requesting maximum therapy.


RESULTS
Response rate 77% (43/56). Twenty-five percent (10/40) of respondents increased the care that they would provide in response to the advance directive (p = 0.004); 77% (33/43) support/strongly support use of advance directives; 51% (22/43) did not know the legal status of advance directives; 44% found that their medical school education was not an important influence on their decision making.


CONCLUSIONS
Advance directives requesting treatment can increase the level of care provided by the physician, however, most trainees chose a level of care different from that in the advance directive. Confusion exists among doctors about the legal status of advance directives, which limits their usefulness. Medical education needs to be improved to train doctors to deal with advance directives.
Toller
Claire A Stark
CA
Sir Michael Sobell House, Oxford, England, UK.
Budge
Marc M
MM
D024362:Advance Directive Adherence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D016223:Advance Directives / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D032882:Comprehension; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D003657:Decision Making; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000193:education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education; D008503:Medical Staff / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D016743:Mental Competency; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D018579:Patient Selection; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires