title: End-of-life decisions: family views on advance directives.
abstract: A cross-sectional survey was administered to family members of patients who died at 1 of the 5 Catholic institutions comprising Mercy Health Partners, a health care system in Ohio, to determine their opinions about patient and family participation in decisions about end-of-life care. Among 165 respondents, 118 (86%) of 138 agreed that the family was encouraged to join in decisions and 133 (91%) of 146 that their family member's health care choices were followed. Most agreed that nurses answered their questions (93%, 141/151) and that the doctor communicated well with family members (83%, 128/155). Seventy percent (107/152) indicated that their family member had at least 1 advance directive. There were no differences in whether health care choices were followed when patients with formal advance directives (92%, 92/100) were compared with patients without formal advance directives (88%, 35/40). A unique survey instrument can be used to measure family perceptions and opinions of participation in decisions about end-of-life care.
authors.affiliation: Ethics, St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, 2213 Cherry Street, Toledo, OH 43608, USA. Ellen_Bernal@mhsnr.org
authors.forename: Ellen W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Bernal
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Parkins
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buderer
authors.forename: Sister Dorothy
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Thum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D024362:Advance Directive Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D016223:Advance Directives / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002410:Catholicism; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D016519:Hospitals, Religious; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009820:Ohio; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*