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Table 3 Relevance of Factors in Decision to Commence Antibiotics or Not. Responses by State and by Treating or Not Treating (Mean Score from 1 to 4 (SD)), in descending order of importance

From: Comparing doctors’ legal compliance across three Australian states for decisions whether to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment: does different law lead to different decisions?

Factor

(Overall Mean)

1

NSW Treat

2

NSW Not Treat

3

QLD Treat

4

QLD Not Treat

5

VIC Treat

6

VIC Not Treat

7

TOTAL Treat

8

TOT

AL Non-Treat

NSW

P value

Treat vs Not Treat

QLD

P value

Treat vs Not Treat

VIC

P value

Treat vs Not Treat

TOTAL

P value

Treat vs Not Treat

Patient’s expected quality of life after proposed treatment

(3.43)

3.72 (0.57)

2.84 (0.95)

3.72 (0.51)

2.83 (0.94)

3.72 (0.53)

2.73 (0.98)

3.72

(0.54)

2.79

(0.95)

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Whether treatment is clinically indicated

(3.18)

3.41 (0.64)

2.73 (0.97)

3.48 (0.62)

2.61 (0.85)

3.45 (0.65)

2.53 (0.91)

3.44

(0.64)

2.61

(0.92)

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Your personal ethical principles

(2.95)

3.04 (0.87)

3.02 (0.92)

3.09 (0.84)

2.57 (1.13)

2.97 (0.90)

2.68 (1.06)

3.03

(0.87)

2.77

(1.04)

0.89

<0.001

0.008

<0.001

Following the patient’s advance directive

(2.90)

2.52 (0.70)

3.68 (0.47)

2.63 (0.63)

3.52 (0.50)

2.57 (0.67)

3.65 (0.51)

2.57

(0.67)

3.63

(0.50)

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Following the law

(2.77)

2.58 (0.79)

3.07 (0.72)

2.65 (0.66)

3.10 (0.54)

2.62 (0.76)

3.16 (0.69)

2.61

(0.75)

3.11

(0.67)

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Family views

(2.70)

2.83 (0.74)

2.29 (0.73)

3.06 (0.70)

2.45 (0.77)

2.80 (0.68)

2.23 (0.78)

2.88

(0.72)

2.30

(0.76)

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

<0.001

Professional guidelines

(2.69)

2.68 (0.81)

2.70 (0.79)

2.69 (0.84)

2.68 (0.85)

2.67 (0.82)

2.75 (0.85)

2.68

(0.82)

2.72

(0.83)

0.89

0.98

0.37

0.53

Views of colleagues about what you should do

(2.67)

2.66 (0.83)

2.49 (0.83)

2.90 (0.72)

2.70 (0.94)

2.81 (0.86)

2.23 (0.87)

2.77

(0.82)

2.43

(0.89)

0.11

0.12

<0.001

<0.001

Hospital policies

(2.16)

2.08 (0.92)

2.30 (0.91)

1.99 (0.85)

2.23 (0.91)

2.18 (0.87)

2.28 (0.96)

2.09

(0.89)

2.28

(0.93)

0.045

0.074

0.37

0.008

Concerns about being sued or criminal prosecution

(2.09)

1.95 (0.89)

2.22 (0.83)

2.11 (0.91)

2.28 (0.99)

2.08 (0.89)

2.12 (0.98)

2.04

(0.90)

2.19

(0.93)

0.18

0.21

0.71

0.022

Your religious views

(1.25)

1.32 (0.70)

1.27 (0.67)

1.25 (0.64)

1.15 (0.44)

1.23 (0.53)

1.12 (0.43)

1.27

(0.63)

1.18

(0.53)

0.52

0.26

0.16

0.068

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