Preferences versus practice: life-sustaining treatments in last months of life in long-term care. 2010

Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
Geriatrics Division, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. BiolaH@piedmonthealth.org

OBJECTIVE To determine prevalence and correlates of decisions made about specific life-sustaining treatments (LSTs) among residents in long-term care (LTC) settings, including characteristics associated with having an LST performed when the resident reportedly did not desire the LST. METHODS After-death interviews with 1 family caregiver and 1 staff caregiver for each of 327 LTC residents who died in the facility. METHODS The setting included 27 nursing homes (NHs) and 85 residential care/assisted living (RC/AL) settings in 4 states. METHODS Decedent demographics, facility characteristics, prevalence of decisions made about specific LSTs, percentage of time LSTs were performed when reportedly not desired, and characteristics associated with that. RESULTS Most family caregivers reported making a decision with a physician about resuscitation (89.1%), inserting a feeding tube (82.1%), administering antibiotics (64.3%), and hospital transfer (83.7%). Reported care was inconsistent with decisions made in 5 of 7 (71.4%) resuscitations, 1 of 7 feeding tube insertions (14.3%), 15 of 78 antibiotics courses (19.2%), and 26 of 87 hospital transfers (29.9%). Decedents who received antibiotics contrary to their wishes were older (mean age 92 versus 85, P=.014). More than half (53.8%) of decedents who had care discordant with their wishes about hospitalization lived in a NH compared with 32.8% of those whose decisions were concordant (P=.034). CONCLUSIONS Most respondents reported decision making with a doctor about life-sustaining treatments, but those decisions were not consistently heeded. Being older and living in a NH were risk factors for decisions not being heeded.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007441 Intubation, Gastrointestinal The insertion of a tube into the stomach, intestines, or other portion of the gastrointestinal tract to allow for the passage of food products, etc. Intubation, Nasogastric,Gastrointestinal Intubation,Gastrointestinal Intubations,Intubations, Gastrointestinal,Intubations, Nasogastric,Nasogastric Intubation,Nasogastric Intubations
D008134 Long-Term Care Care over an extended period, usually for a chronic condition or disability, requiring periodic, intermittent, or continuous care. Care, Long-Term,Long Term Care
D008297 Male Males
D008503 Medical Staff Professional medical personnel who provide care to patients in an organized facility, institution or agency. Medical Staffs,Staff, Medical,Staffs, Medical
D009735 Nursing Homes Facilities which provide nursing supervision and limited medical care to persons who do not require hospitalization. Homes, Nursing,Nursing Home
D012111 Residence Characteristics Elements of residence that characterize a population. They are applicable in determining need for and utilization of health services. Community,Domicile,Living Arrangements,Neighborhood,Place of Birth,Residential Selection,Arrangement, Living,Birth Place,Communities,Domiciles,Living Arrangement,Neighborhoods,Residence Characteristic
D003657 Decision Making The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea. Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D005260 Female Females
D006760 Hospitalization The confinement of a patient in a hospital. Hospitalizations
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

Related Publications

Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
February 2019, Journal of pain and symptom management,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
November 2017, Journal of pain and symptom management,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
January 1990, Chest,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
November 1994, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
December 1995, JAMA,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
September 2007, Nursing ethics,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
January 2000, Journal of palliative medicine,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
May 2022, Scientific reports,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
July 2004, Critical care clinics,
Holly Biola, and Philip D Sloane, and Christianna S Williams, and Timothy P Daaleman, and Sheryl Zimmerman
March 1997, The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences,
Copied contents to your clipboard!