Completion rate of physician orders for life-sustaining treatment for patients with metastatic or recurrent cancer: a preliminary, cross-sectional study
- Authors
- Kim, Ju Won; Choi, Jung Yoon; Jang, Won Jin; Choi, Yoon Ji; Choi, Youn Seon; Shin, Sang Won; Kim, Yeul Hong; Park, Kyong Hwa
- Issue Date
- 22-10월-2019
- Publisher
- BMC
- Keywords
- Physician orders for life-sustaining treatment; End-of-life care; Advance directives
- Citation
- BMC PALLIATIVE CARE, v.18, no.1
- Indexed
- SCIE
SSCI
SCOPUS
- Journal Title
- BMC PALLIATIVE CARE
- Volume
- 18
- Number
- 1
- URI
- https://scholar.korea.ac.kr/handle/2021.sw.korea/62178
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12904-019-0475-9
- ISSN
- 1472-684X
- Abstract
- Background "End of life" is a difficult topic of conversation in East Asian cultures, even among patients and doctors who share a good rapport. In 2016, the Hospice, Palliative Care, and Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision-Making Act, which took the form of "Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment," was introduced in South Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the completion rate of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment in patients with advanced cancer on the active recommendation of physicians, as well as patients' general attitudes toward end-of-life care. Methods We conducted a preliminary, cross-sectional descriptive survey on patients with advanced cancer. A total of 101 patients with advanced solid cancer agreed to participate in the study. The primary endpoint was the rate of completion of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment based on a doctor's suggestion. Written interviews were conducted to understand the perceptions and factors influencing patients' decisions. Results Of the 101 patients, 72 (71.3%) agreed to prepare Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. Patients who had an educational level of high school or higher were more likely to agree to complete Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment documentation as compared to the lower educational status group. More than half of the respondents who completed Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment documentation reported that they had more than a fair understanding of "life-sustaining care" or "Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment." Participants' reasons for Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment completion were diverse. Conclusions We found that highly educated patients, who understood the concept behind the policy well, tended to accept Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment without hesitation. Better education, information shared through the media, and conversations with health care providers might improve understanding of Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment in patients with cancer.
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- Appears in
Collections - College of Medicine > Department of Medical Science > 1. Journal Articles
- Graduate School > Department of Biomedical Sciences > 1. Journal Articles
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