Background Instructional advance directives are widely advocated as a means of preserving
patient self-determination at the end of life based on the assumption that they improve …

BACKGROUND This study was undertaken to determine when patients feel that physician
inquiry about spirituality or religious beliefs is appropriate, reasons why they want their …

Purpose: This study examined patients' and surrogates' attitudes about using advance
directives to manage end-of-life medical care. It also explored process preferences, or how …

Background Past research has documented that primary care physicians and family members
are often inaccurate when making substituted judgments for patients without advance …

Objective.Policy and law encouraging individuals to document their wishes for life-sustaining
medical treatment in advance of serious illness assumes that these wishes are unaffected …

The use of instructional advance directives assumes that preferences for life-sustaining medical
treatment remain stable over time and across changes in life condition. A sample of 332 …

One hundred eight college students (Study 1) and 109 elderly adults (Study 2) rated 28 health
impairments for the quality of life perceived to be possible in that state, the extent to which …

The current study had two primary goals, to determine whether: 1) self-rated mental and
physical health, pain, and experience with health problems were predictors of elderly adults' …

Background: Little is known about the emotional impact of physician-initiated advance directive
discussions. Methods: One hundred ambulatory patients aged 65 years and older were …

See related editorial, p873. Study objectives: To determine the feasibility of a case-finding
program for cognitive impairment in elderly emergency department patients, and to describe …