title: Involvement of the Dutch general population in advance care planning: a cross-sectional survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Advance care planning (ACP) is a process of communication among patients, health care providers, and relatives regarding end-of-life care. The aim of our study was to determine if a representative sample of the Dutch general public is currently involved or is inclined to be engaged in ACP, and to delineate the factors associated with greater engagement.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online questionnaire was completed by a representative sample of the Dutch general public, derived from an established Internet panel (CentERdata, University of Tilburg, The Netherlands).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the majority of the Dutch population seems open to discussions about end-of-life care, our study revealed that discussions with physicians are exceedingly rare. To improve ACP as a joint process among patients, relatives, and physicians, the general public's awareness of the importance of end-of-life discussions with their physicians needs to be increased and physicians need to play a more active role by initiating conversations and dialogue regarding end-of-life care.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam , the Netherlands .
authors.forename: Natasja J H
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Raijmakers
authors.forename: Judith A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rietjens
authors.forename: Pauline S C
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Kouwenhoven
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vezzoni
authors.forename: Ghislaine J M W
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van Thiel
authors.forename: Johannes J M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van Delden
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Heide
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032722:Advance Care Planning; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010358:Patient Participation; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires