Attitudes towards Advance Care Planning and Healthcare Autonomy among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Beijing, China

Psychometric properties evaluation of the Advance Care Planning Readiness Scale for community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases residing in suburban counties within the Chinese context

AIM

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Advance Care Planning Readiness Scale (ACPRS-C) within the context of community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases residing in suburban counties in China.

DESIGN

Descriptive, cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

The research method employed in this study is characterized as a methodological study. Self-reported survey data were collected among community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases residing in suburban counties in China. Including the following psychometric characteristics, item analysis was performed using the decision value method and Pearson's correlation analysis. Content validity was assessed through expert panel evaluation. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient and corrected item-total correlation. Additionally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was utilized to assess the construct validity of the ACPRS-C.

RESULTS

A total of 228 older adults participated in this psychometric study from August to October 2023. The item content validity index ranged from 0.80 to 1.00, while the scale content validity index was 0.945. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.931), and the correlation between items and total score was satisfactory. The structural validity was deemed robust (CFA model fit: chi-square/df = 1.121, comparative fit index = 0.992).

CONCLUSION

The ACPRS-C is a scale with strong psychometric properties to assess the ACP readiness within the context of community-dwelling older adults with chronic diseases residing in suburban counties in China. Its reliability and validity hold considerable significance for both research and clinical practice.

What are the barriers and facilitators to advance care planning with older people in long-term care facilities? A qualitative study

AIM

To explore the views and preferences for advance care planning from the perspectives of residents, family members and healthcare professionals in long-term care facilities.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive design.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 residents of long-term care facilities, 10 family members and 14 healthcare professionals. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The social ecological model was used to develop implementation recommendations.

RESULTS

We constructed a conceptual model of barriers and facilitators to advance care planning in long-term care facilities, drawing upon four dominant themes from the qualitative analysis: (1) The absence of discourse on end-of-life care: a lack of cultural climate to talk about death, the unspoken agreement to avoid conversations about death, and poor awareness of palliative care may hinder advance care planning initiation; (2) Relational decision-making process is a dual factor affecting advance care planning engagement; (3) Low trust and 'unsafe' cultures: a lack of honest information sharing, risks of violating social expectations and damaging social relationships, and risks of legal consequences may hinder willingness to engage in advance care planning; (4) Meeting and respecting residents' psychosocial needs: these can be addressed by readiness assessment, initiating advance care planning in an informal and equal manner and involving social workers.

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that residents' voices were not being heard. It is necessary to identify residents' spontaneous conversation triggers, articulate the value of advance care planning in light of the family's values and preferences, and respect residents' psychosocial needs to promote advance care planning in long-term care facilities. Advance care planning may alleviate the decision-making burden of offspring in nuclear families.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

The evidence-based recommendations in this study will inform the implementation of context-specific advance care planning in Asia-Pacific regions.

PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patients and caregivers contributed to the interview pilot and data collection.

A Systematic Review of Non-Seriously Ill Community-Dwelling Asians' Views on Advance Care Planning

OBJECTIVES

To systematically synthesize the views of community-dwelling Asians on Advance care planning and to summarize the factors and reasons affecting their uptake of ACP.

DESIGN

Mixed-methods systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42018091033).

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Asian adults (≥18 years old) living in the community globally.

METHODS

Medline (Ovid), Web of Science, CINAHL (EBSCO), Open Grey, and Google Scholar were searched from inception to June 30, 2022. Qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods studies reporting on the views of non-seriously ill community-dwelling Asian adults on ACP or the factors influencing their ACP uptake were included. Secondary research, studies not published in English, or studies not available as full text were excluded. Two independent teams of researchers extracted data, assessed methodologic quality, and performed the data analysis. Data analysis was conducted using the multistep convergent integrated approach based on Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for mixed-methods systematic review.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight studies were included. Non-seriously ill community-dwelling Asians were willing to engage in ACP (46.5%-84.4%) although their awareness (3.1%-42.9%) and uptake of ACP remained low (14.0%-53.4%). Background factors (sociodemographic factors, and health status, as well as experience and exposure to information) and underlying beliefs (attitude toward ACP, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control) were found to affect their uptake of ACP. A conceptual framework was developed to facilitate a proper approach to ACP for this population.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

A flexible approach toward ACP is needed for non-seriously ill community-dwelling Asians. There is also a need to raise end-of-life and ACP literacy, and to explore ways to narrow the gap in the expectations and implementation of ACP so that trust in its effective execution can be built.

Opinions of Older Individuals on Advance Care Planning and Factors Affecting Their Views: A Systematic Review

The objective of this systematic review is to present older individuals' views on the advance care planning (ACP) process and the factors affecting those opinions. The review contains search terms predetermined in the databases of CINAHL, MEDLINE (via PubMed), Academic Search Ultimate, Web of Science, Master FILE, and TR Dizin over the last 10 years (1 January 2012-31 December 2021) in English and Turkish. The studies were included in the research using inclusion (sample age ≥ 50, focusing on individuals' opinions on ACP) and exclusion (articles whose samples consisted of individuals with a specific disease, non-research articles) criteria. Quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A narrative synthesis was used to collate findings. The most striking results are the positive perspectives increasing in parallel with the individuals' level of knowledge and experience about ACP. Variables affecting their views are advanced age, marital status, socioeconomic status, perception of remaining life expectancy, self-perceived health, number and stage of chronic diseases, religion, and cultural characteristics. This study offers guidance on the application and dissemination of ACP, empowering the use of this practice given the perspectives of older adults on ACP and the factors that affect them that the data show.

Perspective on advanced directives among older adults in Shanghai: A qualitative study

Objective

This study aimed to explore the perception on advanced directives (ADs) among older adults in Shanghai.

Methods

Through purposive sampling, 15 older adults with rich life experiences who were willing to share perceptions and experiences of ADs participated in this study. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect the qualitative data. Thematic content analysis was applied to analyze the data.

Results

Five themes have been identified: low awareness but high acceptance of ADs; pursuing natural and peaceful sunset life; ambiguous attitude on medical autonomy; being irrational facing patients' dying and death issues; positive about implementing ADs in China.

Conclusion

It is possible and feasible to implement ADs in older adults. Death education and compromised medical autonomy may be needed in the Chinese context as the foundation. The elder's understanding, willingness and worries about ADs should be fully revealed. Diverse approaches should be applied to introduce and interpret ADs to older adults continuously.

Knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions of elderly individuals regarding advance care planning: Questionnaire development and testing

Background

Studies have indicated that the advance care planning knowledge and attitudes of elderly individuals strongly affect their implementation of advance care planning. A measurement with a theoretical base for evaluating elderly individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding advance care planning is lacking.

Objectives

To develop a questionnaire and understand elderly individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions regarding implementing advance care planning.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted. The content validity index, and statistical methods, including discrimination, factor, and reliability analysis, were adopted for psychometric testing. Descriptive statistics mainly presented data analysis.

Results

401 elderly individuals were recruited from a medical center and one senior activity center. The content validity index was approximately 0.71–0.92 for the developed questionnaires, the Kuder–Richardson formula 20 was 0.84 for advance care planning knowledge, and the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.86, 0.94, 0.76, and 0.92 for attitudes, behavioral intentions, influencing factors, and subjective norms, respectively. The average score for advance care planning knowledge for elderly individuals was 4.42, with a correct answer rate of 49.1%. They lacked knowledge of advance care planning-related legislation. The mean score for attitudes and behavioral intentions was 14.32 and 3.48, respectively. Elderly individuals agreed that advance care planning has benefits but were worried about the emotional distress caused by advance care planning discussions. Elderly individuals with positive behavioral intentions tend to implement advance care planning. Spouses, children, doctors, and nurses are significant reference people for elderly individuals.

Conclusions

The developed questionnaire exhibits good validity and reliability for understanding elderly individuals’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions concerning advance care planning. Advance care planning materials or decision aids suitable for elderly individuals must be developed to increase their understanding of advance care planning. Additionally, the role of nurses is indispensable in promoting advance care planning among elderly individuals.

Status quo of implementation of advance care planning: a review

Optimum care for patients with a terminal illness is dependent on understanding their values, beliefs, and preferences on end-of-life issues and providing service that meets their preferences. As the only way to explore patients’ living wills, advance care planning (ACP) is an important means to honor patient autonomy and respect their human rights and dignity. ACP has been recognized as a key indicator for quality palliative care and endorsed into national health systems by many high-income countries; however, it is little known in mainland China. China is now facing a growing aging and terminally ill population with many unmet needs for end-of-life care; therefore, it is imperative to implement ACP in China. In this review, we clarify the relevant concept and suitable population for ACP, describe the current situation of implementation in high-income countries, and provide better suggestions for the future development of ACP in the mainland of China.

Advance directives and end-of-life care preferences among adults in Wuhan, China: a cross-sectional study

Background

Little is known about advance directives (ADs) and end-of-life (EOL) care preferences among the general population in Mainland China. This study aimed to describe knowledge and attitudes of ADs and EOL care preferences, and to explore factors related to preferences for ADs among Chinese adults.

Methods

The sample included 1114 adult participants in Wuhan, Mainland China. A brief message including the link to the online survey was sent to local residents who were registered at household registration management centers in Wuhan. The questionnaire included information regarding demographics, self-rated health, views on ADs and EOL care. Bivariate analyses and binary forward logistic regression were conducted to examine factors related to ADs preferences of Chinese adults.

Results

The average age of the sample was 48.0 years and more than half of the sample was female. 81.8% had never heard of ADs, but 86.6% indicated that they might create one after learning what ADs were. 58% would choose hospice care if they were terminally ill whereas 48.7% of the participants wanted to die at home. 92.3% would want to know their diagnosis and prognosis if ill; however, if their family members were diagnosed with an incurable disease, 50.5% would not tell their ill family member the actual diagnosis and prognosis. Those who had heard of ADs (OR = 1.567, p < 0.001), earned an associate’s degree (OR = 2.448, p < 0.001) or a bachelor’s degree or higher (OR = 2.382, p < 0.001), and self-rated their health as very poor/poor (OR = 1.002, p = 0.001) were more likely to be willing to make an AD than their counterparts. However, those who were single (OR = 0.149, p < 0.001) or widowed /divorced/separated (OR = 0.405, p = 0.001) were less likely to be willing to make an AD than the married ones.

Conclusions

Chinese adults showed positive attitudes towards ADs. There is an urgent need to promote more educational initiatives and raise awareness on the importance of ADs. It is important to develop more policies and legislation about ADs to improve the quality of EOL care in Mainland China.

Awareness and attitudes towards advance care planning in primary care: role of demographic, socioeconomic and religiosity factors in a cross-sectional Lebanese study

OBJECTIVE

To assess awareness and attitudes towards engaging in advance care planning (ACP) and their relationship with demographic, socioeconomic and religiosity factors among Lebanese middle-aged to older-aged adults in primary care.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional survey study.

SETTING

Tertiary referral hospital in Beirut, Lebanon.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 215 middle-aged to older-aged adults.

RESULTS

Out of 215 participants, 18.6% of participants knew about ACP; 94% favoured truth-telling; 87.4% favoured healthcare autonomy; 77.2% favoured documenting their own health values and preferences; and 29.3% were willing to undergo life-prolonging interventions. Among participants who were aware of ACP, 67.5% preferred ACP documentation and 85% had negative attitudes towards life-sustaining interventions. Women were more aware about ACP than men. Those who were willing to undergo life-prolonging interventions were found to be men and had higher religiosity scores.

CONCLUSION

Large deficit in ACP awareness was evident despite the high preference for healthcare autonomy. Medical and public health efforts should strive to enhance patients' ACP awareness and engagement in ACP while considering factors relevant to gender, culture and religiosity.

Advance care planning for older people in mainland China: An integrative literature review

BACKGROUND

Recently, the attempts to promote advance care planning (ACP) and advance directives (ADs) have appeared in mainland China. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the concept of ACP and ADs is not widely known to the public and healthcare professionals.

AIM

To examine and synthesise currently available research about ACP and ADs for older people in mainland China, and to discuss implications for future nursing practice and research.

DESIGN

An integrative literature review.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in seven English electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, Cochrane, JBI, Scopus and Wiley) and four Chinese electronic databases (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and CBM). Eligible articles were critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

FINDINGS

From various groups including older people, families and healthcare professionals, low levels of knowledge and awareness about ACP and ADs are reported. Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, education and clinical conditions were related to positive or negative attitude towards ACP. The main reason people cited for being 'reluctant/fairly reluctant' to make an AD was that they were 'Not familiar with it'.

CONCLUSIONS

Given that older people showed positive attitudes towards ACP, policy support and practice guidelines about ADs and ACP are necessary to respect their wishes and to guide healthcare professionals in mainland China.

'It's almost superstition: If I don't think about it, it won't happen'. Public knowledge and attitudes towards advance care planning: A sequential mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Internationally, participation in advance care planning is low. Whilst a community action approach is advocated, what the public know and understand about advance care planning is unknown.

AIM

To assess public awareness, knowledge and attitudes towards advance care planning and identify strategies to raise awareness within a public health framework.

DESIGN

Sequential mixed methods comprising a cross-sectional survey and focus group/interviews.

SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

A random representative sample of adults from one region of the United Kingdom (n = 1201; response rate 56%) completed a face-to-face survey. Twenty-five participants consented to an additional focus group/interview held in a secure accessible location or via telephone.

RESULTS

Most participants (78.7%) acknowledged the benefits of advance care planning conversations, however, two thirds did not want to think about advance care planning or find out more at present. Respondents were reluctant to broach advance care planning as it was linked to end of life care and funeral plans, and they did not wish to cause distress to their loved one. Respondents trusted their family to respect their wishes and they considered having an advance care plan in place would be of assistance in the future. Top-down leadership, normalisation, and increased education were identified as potential approaches to overcome barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

Advance care planning was recognised as important despite limited awareness, lack of knowledge and misperceptions. Whilst a community action approach to enhance understanding and engagement was supported, a 'one size fits all' approach will not work; rather bespoke targeting is required with educational and media messaging aligned.

Palliative Care in the Greater China Region: A Systematic Review of Needs, Models, and Outcomes

CONTEXT

There is rapidly increasing need for palliative care in Greater China because of rapidly aging populations.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to systematically review and appraise evidence for palliative care needs, models of care, interventions, and outcomes in Greater China.

METHODS

Four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) were searched, with hand searching of local journals and databases. Narrative synthesis was applied to the qualitative and quantitative evidence.

RESULTS

Nineteen qualitative studies and 47 quantitative studies were retained. With respect to care needs, nine themes were synthesized: pain control, reduced aggressive end-of-life care, truth telling, physical, emotional, and spiritual supports, and achieving preferred place of care/death. Informal caregivers expressed their needs for education and burden reduction. Health care professionals called for training and national policy support. Twenty-four studies evaluated interventions, mostly among patients with advanced cancer. Positive effects were suggested for improvements in quality of life, pain, anxiety and depression, readmission rate, and costs. Models of care evaluated were mostly specialist palliative care delivered in various settings (hospitals, residential care, and home). Outcome measures used were grouped into six categories of construct: quality of life, pain, physical assessment, psychospiritual assessment, quality of care, and implementation assessment. Limited rigorous randomized controlled trials are available to document intervention outcomes, and some problems (such as high attrition rates) reduced the strength of the evidence.

CONCLUSION

Palliative care services within Greater China should pay more attention to management of nonmalignant disease and to integration into primary services. Policy support is key to establishing culturally appropriate person-centered services.

The experience of palliative care among older Chinese people in nursing homes: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

To identify the gaps in understanding the experience of older Chinese people receiving palliative care in nursing homes.

DESIGN

A nine-step scoping review methodology was used to search for relevant literature.

METHODS

Sixteen databases were searched for relevant studies published in English from January 1990 to August 2019. The grey literature was searched for relevant theses pertaining to the topic.

RESULTS

A total of 18 studies from the United States (n = 2), mainland China (n = 1), Hong Kong (n = 13), Taiwan (n = 2) and one thesis from Hong Kong were included in the final analysis. The findings were categorised into four themes: (1) advance care planning preferences; (2) decision-making process related to palliative care; (3) palliative care experiences and barriers; and (4) practice to improve palliative care.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the distinctive experiences of older Chinese residents in nursing homes when faced with death and dying, cultural beliefs strongly influenced their attitudes and behaviours in receiving end-of-life care. As Chinese immigrants have become a major ethnic group in western countries, there is benefit in recognising that older Chinese people living in nursing homes and needing palliative care will face specific challenges. Culturally appropriate interventions to address older Chinese people's existential stress, grief related to loss, communication and dietary requirements, and other barriers should be developed and implemented.

Sociocultural Factors Associated with Awareness of Palliative Care and Advanced Care Planning among Asian Populations

Objective

Underutilization of palliative care (PC) among racial/ethnic minorities remains consistent despite projected demand. The purpose of this study was to examine knowledge of palliative care and advanced care planning (ACP) and potential variations among subgroups of Asian Americans.

Design

A survey was conducted to collect information about awareness, knowledge, and perspective of PC and ACP in the southwestern region of the United States, from October 2018 to February 2019. A total of 212 surveys were collected from the general public at such places as health fairs, New Year celebration events, church, and community centers; 154 surveys were included in the descriptive and multivariate data analysis.

Results

About 46.1% and 40.3% participants reported having heard of palliative care and advanced care planning, respectively. The average score of the Knowledge of Care Options Instrument (KOCO) was 6.03 out of 11 and the average score of the Palliative Care Knowledge Scale (PaCKS) was 4.38 out of 13. Among those who have heard of PC, both Chinese (odds ratio (OR) .19 [CI, .05, .73]) and Vietnamese (.22 [.06, .84]) were less likely to have heard of palliative care compared with Filipinos (1.00). Among those who have ever heard of advanced care planning, age (.60 [.43, .84]) was negatively and education level (1.91 [1.18, 3.08]) was positively associated with awareness about advanced care planning. The majority of survey participants preferred family members to serve as their power attorneys.

Conclusion

The low levels of palliative care and advanced care planning awareness and knowledge in the diverse Asian groups living in the United States raise concerns and shed light on the critical need for culturally appropriate education programs.

Exploring Behavioral Readiness and Program Strategies to Engage Older Community Residents in Advance Care Planning: A Pilot Mixed-Method Study in Taiwan

Taiwan was the first Asian country to endorse patient autonomy, and advance care planning (ACP) has been highly promoted to improve quality of end-of-life (EOL). A mixed-methods pilot survey was conducted in northwestern Taiwan to investigate older community-dwelling residents’ (N = 52) ACP behavioral engagement, socio-demographical correlates, and their preferred intervention strategies. An interview subset (25%, N = 13) was purposely chosen for in-depth feedback and rationales behind their ACP decision-making. Rich information was obtained about perceived facilitators and inhibitors to initiate ACP and preferred intervention strategies in ACP programs. Consistent with previous literature, carefully designed ACP programs that incorporated family decision-making and met older subjects’ multiple needs would increase program acceptability and foster ACP engagement among older Taiwanese in the community setting.

Exploring Advance Directive Perspectives and Associations with Preferences for End-of-Life Life-Sustaining Treatments among Patients with Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators

Deactivation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a critical issue in the advance care planning (ACP) of ICD recipients; however, related perspectives have rarely been explored. Thus, this study aimed to provide an initial investigation of ICD recipients’ perceived susceptibility and barriers/benefits regarding ACP and/or advance directives (ADs), and associations of these modifiable factors with preferences for end-of-life life-sustaining treatments (LSTs) (cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), ventilator support, hemodialysis, and hospice care). Using a descriptive correlational design, 48 ICD recipients (age, 50.1 years; male, 85.4%) completed survey questionnaires. “No burden on family” was the most highly valued (59.1%), followed by “comfortable death” (20.4%), and both (11.4%). LST preference was 43.8% for ventilator support, 45.8% for both hemodialysis and hospice care, and 54.2% for CPR. Perceived susceptibility to having unexpected end-of-life experiences increased the likelihood of preference for aggressive LSTs, with preferences increasing by 15% for CPR, 17% for ventilator support, and 23% for hemodialysis. A non-modifiable factor, older age, was the only predictor of increased preference for hospice care (odds ratio = 1.09, p = 0.016). Among the modifiable factors, a higher perceived susceptibility increased the likelihood of aggressive LST preferences. The findings imply that to facilitate informed decisions for LSTs, early ACP discussion could be helpful and enhance these modifiable factors.

Factors associated with health-related quality of life in community-dwelling elderly people in China

AIM

Few studies have comprehensively evaluated the factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the elderly. The purpose of the study is to identify the factors associated with HRQOL using a comprehensive geriatric assessment of community-dwelling elderly people in Beijing, China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 896 community-dwelling elderly people in Beijing was conducted through face-to-face interviews. Data regarding sociodemographic factors, chronic disease (assessed by the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics, CIRS-G), common geriatric syndromes and HRQOL (assessed by the EuroQol 5-Dimension questionnaire, EQ-5D) were collected using a structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors related to HRQOL.

RESULTS

The CIRS-G comorbidity index was negatively related to the EQ-5D index and EQ-Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (P < 0.05). Geriatric syndromes such as chronic pain and non-optimal nutrition were negatively related to HRQOL (P < 0.05), and the negative influence of geriatric syndromes on the EQ-5D index was stronger than that of the cumulative comorbidities. Functional status in daily living activities was positively related to HRQOL (P < 0.05). Receiving care from children was positively related to EQ-VAS (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Besides cumulative comorbidities and geriatric syndromes, in particular nutritional problems and chronic pain exert a substantial negative impact on the HRQOL of elderly people in China, whereas family support is an important protective factor. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 422-429.

Correlates of life-support treatment preferences among low-income home-based cancer management recipients

PURPOSE

To examine the correlates of life-support treatment (LST) preferences from attitudes toward advance directives (ADs), perceived susceptibility, symptom frequency, symptom burden, and global health among low-income community-dwelling cancer management recipients, controlling for age, sex, education, and duration after cancer diagnosis.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, correlational study design was used to assess LST preferences and correlates. Data were collected from low-income cancer survivors during nurses' home visits.

RESULTS

Survivors who had mostly solid cancer participated (N = 107, mean age = 67.39 ± 11.57 years, 32.7% males). Hospice care was the most desired (66.4%), while aggressive treatments were less preferred: cardiopulmonary resuscitation (15.9%), ventilation support (15.0%), hemodialysis (18.7%), or chemotherapy (12.1%). Higher symptom frequency was associated with a greater likelihood of preferring all aggressive treatments (odds ratios = 1.44-1.75). In addition, longer cancer duration was associated with a greater likelihood of preferring ventilation support; females had a lesser likelihood of preferring hemodialysis and chemotherapy. Higher education was associated with a lesser likelihood of preferring chemotherapy. More positive attitudes (B = 0.15, p = .001) were associated with a greater likelihood of preferring hospice care, and greater symptom burden of pain (B = -0.03, p = .047) was associated with a lesser likelihood.

CONCLUSION

Results support the feasibility of incorporating ADs into cancer management among community-dwelling cancer survivors, with consideration of AD attitudes and symptom monitoring. An integration of AD discussion into the home visiting service could be a liaison for the quality and continuity of cancer survivorship care that guides and manages patients' survivorship issues.

Attitudes and completion of advance care planning: Assessing the contribution of health beliefs about Alzheimer's disease among Israeli laypersons

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess laypersons’ attitudes and completion of advance care planning (ACP) and to examine associations with sociodemographic characteristics and health beliefs on Alzheimer's disease.

Methods

A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted during April and May 2017, with a sample of 514 Israeli adults, aged 18 years and above. A structured, pretested questionnaire assessing participants’ awareness, attitudes, and completion of ACP, as well as health beliefs on Alzheimer's disease (subjective knowledge, susceptibility, and worry), and sociodemographic factors, was used.

Results

Two-fifths of the participants had heard of at least one of the terms: advance directives or durable power of attorney. Overall, participants expressed positive attitudes toward ACP. Results of regression models showed that gender, religiosity, and subjective knowledge of Alzheimer's disease were statistically significant correlates of attitudes toward ACP. Adding health beliefs on Alzheimer's disease doubled the amount of the variance explained, from 3% to 6%.

Significance of results

Our results support the use of cognitive models of health behavior by assessing intra-personal beliefs and knowledge to understand ACP attitudes and completion. Specifically, we demonstrated the importance of knowledge of Alzheimer's disease for ACP attitudes, suggesting the importance of including a module on the topic to ACP interventions.

Is Annual Income a Predictor of Completion of Advance Directives (ADs) in Patients With Cancer

CONTEXT:

Completion of advance directives (ADs) enhances the likelihood of receiving goal-concordant treatments near the end of life. Previous research on community samples have shown that completion of ADs is less common in lower socioeconomic status demographic group; there is a paucity of such research in patients with cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

To study the effect of income and education on the completion of ADs.

HYPOTHESIS:

Patients with cancer having lower incomes and education levels would be less likely to report completing ADs.

METHODS:

We conducted cross-sectional analyses of data provided by patients (n = 265) enrolled in the Values and Options in Cancer Care clinical trial. Patients with advanced cancer reported whether they had (1) completed a living will or (2) designated a health-care proxy. Response options for both questions were yes (scored 1), no (scored 0), and unsure (scored 0). We studied the association of lower household income (≤US$20 000) and education level (never attended college) with AD scores.

RESULTS:

Patients with lower annual incomes had lower AD scores (estimate -0.44; confidence intervals [CI]: -0.71 to -0.16, P = .001); the association between higher educational attainment (some college or more) and completion of ADs was not statistically significant (estimate 0.04, CI: -0.16 to 0.24, P = .70).

CONCLUSION:

Interventions to promote completion of ADs among lower income patients with serious illnesses are needed.

Comparison of attitudes towards five end-of-life care interventions (active pain control, withdrawal of futile life-sustaining treatment, passive euthanasia, active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide): a multicentred cross-sectional survey of Korean patients with cancer, their family caregivers, physicians and the general Korean population

OBJECTIVES

This study determined attitudes of four groups-Korean patients with cancer, their family caregivers, physicians and the general Korean population-towards five critical end-of-life (EOL) interventions-active pain control, withdrawal of futile life-sustaining treatment (LST), passive euthanasia, active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.

DESIGN AND SETTING

We enrolled 1001 patients with cancer and 1006 caregivers from 12 large hospitals in Korea, 1241 members of the general population and 928 physicians from each of the 12 hospitals and the Korean Medical Association. We analysed the associations of demographic factors, attitudes towards death and the important components of a 'good death' with critical interventions at EoL care.

RESULTS

All participant groups strongly favoured active pain control and withdrawal of futile LST but differed in attitudes towards the other four EoL interventions. Physicians (98.9%) favoured passive euthanasia more than the other three groups. Lower proportions of the four groups favoured active euthanasia or PAS. Multiple logistic regression showed that education (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.77, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.36), caregiver role (aOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.34 to 2.08) and considering death as the ending of life (aOR 1.66, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.61) were associated with preference for active pain control. Attitudes towards death, including belief in being remembered (aOR 2.03, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.79) and feeling 'life was meaningful' (aOR 2.56, 95% CI 1.58 to 4.15) were both strong correlates of withdrawal of LST with the level of monthly income (aOR 2.56, 95% CI 1.58 to 4.15). Believing 'freedom from pain' negatively predicted preference for passive euthanasia (aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.85). In addition, 'not being a burden to the family' was positively related to preferences for active euthanasia (aOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.90) and PAS (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.37 to 1.89).

CONCLUSION

Groups differed in their attitudes towards the five EoL interventions, and those attitudes were significantly associated with various attitudes towards death.

Do Patients Want to Listen to a Diagnosis of Dementia in Korea? Preferences on Disclosing a Diagnosis of Dementia and Discussing Advance Care Planning in Elderly Patients with Memory Concerns and Their Families

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to investigate preferences regarding the disclosure of a dementia diagnosis and advance care planning (ACP) in patients with memory complaints and their families.

METHODS

A total of 98 patients who visited the department of psychiatry at a tertiary hospital with memory complaints and 62 family members completed a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included preferences on disclosure of dementia and cancer diagnosis, awareness and preferences on ACP.

RESULTS

In total, 96.9% of patients were willing to know their dementia diagnosis. There were no significant differences in preferences between the diagnosis of cancer and dementia. Only 24.7% of patients and 45.8% of family members have heard of ACP. However, 82.8% of patients agreed on the necessity of ACP under the current condition. Multivariate analysis revealed that younger patients were more likely to agree with necessity for ACP under the current condition.

CONCLUSION

In Korea, patients with memory complaints and their family members strongly favored a disclosure of dementia diagnosis. The majority of participants also agreed on the necessity of ACP. More active involvement of patients is needed in treatment decisions and care planning in cases of dementia as well as other life-threatening illnesses.

Attitudes Toward Advance Directives Among Patients and Their Family Members in China

OBJECTIVES

Chinese people are generally unfamiliar with the concept of advance care planning or advance directives (ACP/ADs), which raises dilemmas in life-support choice and can even affect clinical decision making. To understand and address the issues involved better, we investigated the awareness of ACP/ADs in China, as well as people's attitudes toward medical autonomy and end-of-life care.

DESIGN

A multicenter cross-sectional survey, conducted from August 1 to December 31, 2016.

SETTING

Twenty-five hospitals located in 15 different provinces throughout mainland China.

PARTICIPANTS

Pairs of adult patients without dementia or malignancies, and a family member.

MEASUREMENTS

Participants self-filled anonymous questionnaires, and the data collected were analyzed to relate patients' sociodemographic characteristics to their awareness of ACP/ADs and attitudes to health care autonomy and end-of-life care.

RESULTS

Among 1084 patients who completed the questionnaire, 415 (38.3%) had heard about ACP/ADs. Having been informed about ACP/ADs, 995 (91.8%) were willing to find out their true health status and decide for themselves; 549 (50.6%) wanted to institute ACP/ADs. Regarding end-of-life care, 473 (43.6%) chose Do Not Resuscitate, and 435 (40.1%) wished to forgo life-support treatment if irreversibly moribund. Patients predominantly (481, 44.4%) chose general hospital as their preferred place to spend their last days of life; only 114 (10.5%) favored a special hospice facility. Patients' main concerns during end-of-life care were symptom control (35.1%), followed by functional maintenance and quality of life (29.8%), and prolonging life (18.9%). More highly educated patients had significantly greater awareness of ACP/ADs than less well educated ones (χ² = 59.22, P < .001) and were more willing to find out the truth for themselves (χ² = 58.30, P ≤ .001) and make medical decisions in advance (χ² = 55.92, P < .001). Younger patients were also more willing than older ones to know the truth (χ² = 38.23, P = .001) and make medical decisions in advance (χ² = 18.42, P = .018), and were also more likely to wish to die at home (χ² = 96.25, P < .001). Only 212 patients' family members (19.6%) wanted life-support treatment for themselves if irreversibly moribund, whereas 592 (54.6%) would want their relative to receive such procedures in the same circumstances; a similar discrepancy was evident for end-of-life invasive treatment (18.3% vs 42.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Awareness about ACP/ADs in China is still low. Providing culturally sensitive knowledge, education, and communication regarding ACP/ADs is a feasible first step to promoting this sociomedical practice.