Brief report: identifying a proxy for health care as part of routine medical inquiry.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Physician-initiated advance care planning is desirable, effective, and routinely indicated for competent adult patients, but doctors are often reluctant to begin the necessary conversations.

Objective

To determine whether patients are willing and able to designate a surrogate for medical decision making, when asked to do so as part of routine medical inquiry.

Design, patients, measurements

A survey asking patients to name a health care agent was designed and administered in the context of routine clinical care. Participants were drawn from a consecutive sample of 309 competent adult outpatients. Data were analyzed using ordinary descriptive statistics.

Results

Two hundred ninety-eight of 309 patients (response rate, 96%) completed the survey and were

SUBMITTER: Lipkin KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1831656 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature