ethics news & views: Initial end-of-life care survey completed, more to follow

September 01, 2001

Initial end-of-life care survey completed, more to follow

In January 2001 End-of-Life Care Practices: A Survey of Organizational Members of the Health Care Ethics Consortium of Georgia was completed. This report summarizes the results of a 130-item questionnaire that was sent to member representatives of HCECG. As a pilot study, these data are extremely valuable in estimating the prevalence of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about end-of-life care practices.

Some of the major findings included:

There is a lack of common language in end-of-life care, including no common definition of “end-of life” and varying meanings of “advance directives.”
Although one of the most important components of high quality end-of-life care is pain management, only 48% of respondents report it as being effective.
The degree to which patients’ wishes, as expressed in advance directives, are honored is not clear with widely varying responses to questions in this area.
Although knowledge of hospice care is high, reported usage is less than 50%.
About three-quarters of respondents agreed that pain should be effectively managed, even if death was hastened as a side effect.
Less than 40% of respondents agreed with legalization of physician-assisted suicide.

A second survey on end-of-life care practices and attitudes has been developed. This study, approved through Emory HIC, was mailed to physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains throughout the state of Georgia. With a more focused survey tool and a broader base of participants, this study is intended to be able to more clearly describe current end-of-life care practices across Georgia as well as the attitudes of professionals who care for patients at the end of life.

[ Posted by Kathy Kinlaw at September 1, 2001 11:45 AM |