title: Understanding the views of those who care for patients with cancer on advance care planning and end-of-life care.
abstract: An electronic survey was used to assess the views of a diverse nationwide cohort of health care professionals regarding advance care planning and end-of-life care. A total of 645 responses were received. If diagnosed with a serious incurable illness with limited life expectancy, 97% would want to discuss their prognosis, 74% would refuse cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and 72% favored supportive/comfort care to more aggressive life-prolonging treatments. However, prognosis was thought to be discussed with only 52% of such patients, and just 5% thought doctors were either very or extremely successful at explaining advanced life-sustaining treatments to patients. Greater than 90% believed these discussions should best occur when a patient is thought to have one or more years to live and 80% thought they are best initiated in the outpatient setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA malcolm.mattes@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Malcolm D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mattes
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kaity
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tung
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Kapila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Parikh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashamalla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D032722:Advance Care Planning; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*
keywords: advance care planning; advance medical planning; attitude to death; cancer; end-of-life care; oncology; palliative care; prognosis