Attitudes of European physicians, nurses, patients, and families regarding end-of-life decisions: the ETHICATT study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate attitudes of Europeans regarding end-of-life decisions.


METHODS
Responses to a questionnaire by physicians and nurses working in ICUs, patients who survived ICU, and families of ICU patients in six European countries were compared for attitudes regarding quality and value of life, ICU treatments, active euthanasia, and place of treatment.


RESULTS
Questionnaires were distributed to 4,389 individuals and completed by 1,899 (43%). Physicians (88%) and nurses (87%) found quality of life more important and value of life less important in their decisions for themselves than patients (51%) and families (63%). If diagnosed with a terminal illness, health professionals wanted fewer ICU admissions, uses of CPR, and ventilators (21%, 8%, 10%, respectively) than patients and families (58%, 49%, 44%, respectively). More physicians (79%) and nurses (61%) than patients (58%) and families (48%) preferred being home or in a hospice if they had a terminal illness with only a short time to live.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life was more important for physicians and nurses than patients and families. More medical professionals want fewer ICU treatments and prefer being home or in a hospice for a terminal illness than patients and families.
Sprung
Charles L
CL
General Intensive Care Unit, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, PO Box 12000, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel. sprung@cc.huji.ac.il
Carmel
Sara
S
Sjokvist
Peter
P
Baras
Mario
M
Cohen
Simon L
SL
Maia
Paulo
P
Beishuizen
Albertus
A
Nalos
Daniel
D
Novak
Ivan
I
Svantesson
Mia
M
Benbenishty
Julie
J
Henderson
Beverly
B
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005060:Europe; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses; D010361:Patients; D010820:Physicians; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care; D019452:Terminally Ill