Could hypothetical scenarios enhance understanding on decision for life-sustaining treatment in non-demented Chinese older persons?

Background: With increasing longevity, there is an increasing need for medical professionals to face situations in which explanation for decision on life-sustaining treatment (LST) would be required. Objectives: As advance decision making for LST in case of severe medical illness may be unfamiliar f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aging & mental health 2010-11, Vol.14 (8), p.994-999
Main Authors: Fung, Ada W.T., Lam, Linda C.W., Lui, Victor W.C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advance Directives
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Asian Continental Ancestry Group - psychology
Assessment
Care of the aged
case vignettes
China
Chinese people
Comprehension
Cross-Sectional Studies
Decision Making
Dementia - psychology
Doctors
Elderly people
Female
Health care
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health services
Humans
Knowledge
Life Support Care - psychology
Life sustaining treatment
Logistic Models
Male
Medical care
Medical treatment
Middle Aged
Socioeconomic Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Vignettes
Withholding Treatment
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Summary:Background: With increasing longevity, there is an increasing need for medical professionals to face situations in which explanation for decision on life-sustaining treatment (LST) would be required. Objectives: As advance decision making for LST in case of severe medical illness may be unfamiliar for most of the Chinese elders, we aim to explore if procedures adopted to enhance the exposure to the issue concerned would bring about improvement in knowledge toward decision for LST. Method: This was a cross-sectional study. The design was divided into three sections: (i) a pre-scenario knowledge assessment, (ii) scenario exposure (relating issues of LST using case vignettes), and (iii) a post-scenario assessment. The pre- and post-scenario assessment comprises 10 questions, exploring the understanding toward basic issues related to LST. The scenario exposure comprises two hypothetical case vignettes describing situations demanding decisions for LST. The knowledge level toward LST was assessed and compared before and after the presentation of the two vignettes. Results: One-hundred community dwelling older persons (aged over 60 years) were recruited. The scenario exposure improved the knowledge level of participants (paired samples t-test, p 
ISSN:1360-7863
1364-6915
DOI:10.1080/13607863.2010.501065