Nephrologists' changing practices in reported end-of-life decision-making.
Because the dialysis patient population is increasingly composed of older patients with high symptom burden, shortened life expectancy, and multiple comorbid conditions, nephrologists often engage in end-of-life decision-making with their patients. In the 1990s, reported practices of nephrologists' end-of-life decision-making showed much variability. In part as a reaction to that variability, the Renal Physicians Association (RPA) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) developed a clinical practice guideline on end-of-life decision-making. To determine whether nephrologists' attitudes and reported practices had changed over time, survey responses from 296 nephrologists completing an online survey in 2005 were compared with 318 nephrologists who completed a similar mailed survey in 1990. In 2005, less variability was noted in reported practices to withhold dialysis from a permanently unconscious patient (90% would withhold in 2005 versus 83% who would withhold in 1990, P < 0.001) and to stop dialysis in a severely demented patient (53% in 2005 would stop versus 39% in 1990, P < 0.00001). In 2005, significantly more dialysis units were reported to have written policies on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (86% in 2005 versus 31% in 1990, P < 0.0001) and withdrawal of dialysis (30% in 2005 versus 15% in 1990, P < 0.0002); nephrologists were also more likely to honor a dialysis patient's do-not-resuscitate order (83% in 2005 versus 66%, P < 0.0002) and to consider consulting a Network ethics committee (52% in 2005 versus 39%, P < 0.001). Nephrologists' reported practices in end-of-life care have changed significantly over the 15 years separating the two surveys, suggesting that the development of the clinical practice guideline was worthwhile.
Holley
Jean L
JL
Division of Nephrology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA. jlh4qs@virginia.edu
Davison
Sara N
SN
Moss
Alvin H
AH
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003657:Decision Making; D017041:Ethics Committees; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009398:Nephrology / Q000941:ethics* / Q000639:trends; D011364:Professional Practice; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000941:ethics*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000639:trends