title: Religion, risk, and medical decision making at the end of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to present empirical evidence about whether religious patients are more or less willing to undergo the risks associated with potentially life-sustaining treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  At least every 4 months 226 older community-dwelling persons with advanced cancer, congestive heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were asked questions about several dimensions of religiousness and about their willingness to accept potentially life-sustaining treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results were mixed but persons who said that during their illness they grew closer to God (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.15, 2.78) or those grew spiritually (OR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.03, 2.52) were more willing to accept risk associated with potentially life-sustaining treatment than were persons who did not report such growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Not all dimensions of religiousness have the same association with willingness to undergo potentially life-sustaining treatment. Seriously ill older, religious patients are not especially predisposed to avoid risk and resist treatment.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Program On Aging, and Yale School of Public Health, 300 George Street, Suite 775, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. peter.vanness@yale.edu
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Van Ness
authors.forename: Virginia R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Towle
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: Terri R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Fried
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000523:psychology; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012306:Risk; D029181:Spirituality; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States