Associations between understanding of current treatment intent, communication with healthcare providers, preferences for invasive life-sustaining interventions and decisional conflict: results from a survey of patients with advanced heart failure in Singapore.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To make informed choices about use of future invasive life-sustaining interventions (ILSI), patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) need to correctly understand the intent of their current treatments. However, healthcare providers may be wary of having these discussions due to fear of distressing patients. In this study, we assessed whether patients who understand their treatment intent are less willing to undergo ILSI and are indeed more psychologically distressed.

Design, participants and outcomes

As part of a cross-sectional survey conducted prior to randomising patients for a trial, we asked 282 patients with advanced CHF (New York Heart Association Class III and IV) whether they believe their existing treatments would cure their heart condition, their wi

SUBMITTER: Malhotra C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6150135 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature