Does special education in palliative medicine make a difference in end-of-life decision-making?

BMC Palliative Care

Table 2 Number and proportion (%) of physicians deciding to withdraw a treatment in the patient scenario according to physician groups

Treatment	Scenario	Competency in PM		Surgeons		Internist		GPs		Oncologists		P-value^a
Antibiotic	Original scenario	41	(65)	72	(51)	78	(51)	128	(53)	45	(54)	0.399
	Family’s appeal	33	(50)	55	(39)	55	(36)	89	(37)*	34	(37)	0.353
	Advance directive	58	(87)	116	(83)	122	(82)	204	(84)	82	(89)	0.641
Mechanical ventilation	Original scenario	63	(96)	119	(85)*	135	(89)	195	(81)*	83	(91)	0.008
	Family’s appeal	59	(92)	113	(80)*	126	(83)	175	(72)*	76	(84)	0.002
	Advance directive	67	(100)	130	(92)*	147	(98)	228	(94)*	90	(99)	0.011
Intravenous hydration	Original scenario	43	(65)	31	(22)**	39	(26)**	85	(35)**	42	(46)*	< 0.001
	Family’s appeal	26	(40)	21	(15)**	19	(13)**	58	(24)*	34	(37)	< 0.001
	Advance directive	58	(88)	64	(46)**	84	(56)**	162	(67)*	75	(82)	< 0.001
Nasogastric tube	Original scenario	62	(95)	85	(60)**	98	(65)**	161	(67)**	63	(69)**	< 0.001
	Family’s appeal	60	(92)	76	(54)**	87	(58)**	126	(53)**	64	(70)*	< 0.001
	Advance directive	64	(97)	105	(75)**	126	(84)*	203	(84)*	82	(89)	0.001
Thrombos prophylaxis	Original scenario	55	(85)	108	(76)	105	(69)*	151	(62)*	73	(80)	< 0.001
	Family’s appeal	52	(80)	104	(74)	95	(64)*	128	(53)**	67	(73)	< 0.001
	Advance directive	63	(96)	121	(88)	127	(85)*	199	(82)*	86	(94)	0.013
Supplementary oxygen	Original scenario	11	(16)	16	(11)	23	(15)	14	(6)*	11	(12)	0.019
	Family’s appeal	12	(18)	14	(10)	13	(9)*	12	(5)	6	(7)*	0.011
	Advance directive	20	(30)	40	(28)	46	(31)	51	(21)	27	(29)	0.189

PM, Palliative Medicine, GP, General Practitioner
^aGlobal p-value across all physician groups
*p < 0.05 and **p < 0.001 pair-wise comparison to physicians with special competency in PM

ISSN: 1472-684X