Physician Decision-Making Patterns and Family Presence: Cross-Sectional Online Survey Study in Japan.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Due to a low birth rate and an aging population, Japan faces an increase in the number of elderly people without children living in single households. These elderly without a spouse and/or children encounter a lack of caregivers because most sources of care for the elderly in Japan are not provided by private agencies but by family members. However, family caregivers not only help with daily living but are also key participants in treatment decision making. The effect of family absence on treatment decision making has not been elucidated, although more elderly people will not have family members to make surrogate decisions on their behalf. OBJECTIVE:The aim is to understand the influence of family absence on treatment decision making by physicians through a cross-sectional onlin

SUBMITTER: Tsuda K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6764328 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature