Attitudes of the four groups of population toward end-of-life care of their child: A nationwide survey

Attitudes of the four groups of population toward end-of-life care of their child: A nationwide survey

Kim YS;Choi YH;Lee B;Park JD;Yun YH

Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

2018

terminal care;adult;cancer patient;caregiver;Child;conference abstract;controlled study;Female;health care system;hospice;human;life sustaining treatment;lifespan;major clinical study;Male;multicenter study;palliative therapy;pediatric patient;physician;population group;questionnaire

Aims & Objectives: Preference for care in dying children is important for the quality of end-of-life care but little is known about attitudes of the relatives of the children toward the preference according to the expected life span. Methods We conducted a national survey about the preference for care in dying of pediatric patients in four participants groups. Results We analyzed nationwide questionnaires of total 4,154 participants; 928 physicians from the 12 hospitals and the Korean Medical Association, 1,241 general population, 979 adult cancer patients, and 1,006 family caregivers from 12 general hospitals. The preference for aggressive treatment or life-sustaining treatment (LST) decreased and the preference for hospice-palliative care (HPC) increased according to the decrease of expected life span in all the groups. The positive preference for aggressive treatment is significantly higher in the patients and family caregivers groups than in the physicians group. The preference for LST is significantly higher in the three groups compare to the physicians group 6. But the preference for HPC is significantly lower in these groups compare to the physicians group. Conclusions The preferences for aggressive treatment, LST and HPC have changed according to the decrease of expected life span, and were different among the population group. Communication program and health care systems to reduce the gap of the preferences between the general population, patients or family carefivers and physicians are needed.

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November 2018 List