The effect of emotion and physician communication behaviors on surrogates' life-sustaining treatment decisions: a randomized simulation experiment.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Surrogate decision makers for critically ill patients experience strong negative emotional states. Emotions influence risk perception, risk preferences, and decision making. We sought to explore the effect of emotional state and physician communication behaviors on surrogates' life-sustaining treatment decisions.

Design

5 × 2 between-subject randomized factorial experiment.

Setting

Web-based simulated interactive video meeting with an intensivist to discuss code status.

Subjects

Community-based participants 35 and older who self-identified as the surrogate for a parent or spouse recruited from eight U.S. cities through public advertisements.

Interventions

Block random assignment to emotion arousal manipulation and each of the four physician com

SUBMITTER: Barnato AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3687021 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature