title: Information preferences of the general population when faced with life-limiting illness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Giving the public and the patients good information enables them to make effective choices about their care. This study describes public preferences for both themselves and their relatives on receiving information on end-of-life care topics when faced with a life-limiting illness and to identify associated factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study used data from the cross-sectional Health Interview Study (HIS) 2008 that collected data from a representative sample (N = 9651) of the Belgian population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Around 82% of respondents wanted to be informed always about diagnosis, chances of cure and available treatments, 77% wanted to be informed on life expectancy, 72% on options regarding palliative care and 67% on possibilities of prolonging or shortening life. Around 55% wanted their relative to be informed always about diagnosis, chances of cure, life expectancy and different treatments available, whereas 50% wanted this in relation to the options regarding palliative care and 46% on the possibilities of prolonging or shortening life. Younger adults, people with more education and people with a regular GP were more likely to want to be informed always. Younger adults and women were less likely to want their relatives to be informed always.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of the Belgian population wants to be informed always about end-of-life care topics when faced with a life-limiting illness. Physicians should be aware of the desired level of information and tailor information to individual patient preferences. Understanding population preferences may help to tailor patient education and health promotion programmes appropriately.
authors.affiliation: 1 Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research group, Ghent University & Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Ghent, Belgium adevlemi@vub.ac.be.
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Vleminck
authors.affiliation: 2 Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pardon
authors.affiliation: 2 Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roelands
authors.affiliation: 2 Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Houttekier
authors.affiliation: 2 Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium 3 Department of Family Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lieve
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van den Block
authors.affiliation: 2 Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium 4 Heymans Institute of Pharmacology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vander Stichele
authors.affiliation: 2 Family Medicine and Chronic Care, End-of-Life Care Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) & Ghent University, Brussels, Belgium 5 Department of Medical Oncology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deliens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult