Table 3 Information needs, benefits, and barriers of the “do not resuscitate” discussion
N (%) | |
|---|---|
Information needs | |
Remaining life period | 396 (75.57) |
The prognosis of the disease | 390 (74.43) |
Future symptoms | 371 (70.80) |
Hospice and palliative care | 354 (67.56) |
The diagnosis of the disease | 349 (66.60) |
CPR procedure | 335 (63.93) |
Cannot continue curative treatments | 292 (55.73) |
Dying symptoms and death situation | 192 (36.64) |
Artificial nutrition | 162 (30.92) |
New clinical trial | 149 (28.44) |
Other physicians and hospitals (second opinion) | 77 (14.969) |
Important factors related to the DNR decision | |
The consequence of the CPR procedure | 466 (88.93) |
Patients’ willingness, such as whether they have expressed an opinion about DNR | 464 (88.55) |
Patients’ current physical conditions, such as pain, uncomfortable symptoms, and suffering | 458 (87.40) |
Suffering when receiving CPR | 450 (85.88) |
Still have other curative treatments, such as operations or medicine | 440 (83.97) |
The diagnosis of the disease | 438 (83.59) |
Patients’ age | 432 (82.44) |
Future care task, such as taking patients to the hospital and care | 406 (77.48) |
Future care expenditure | 387 (73.85) |
Other families’ opinions about DNR | 281 (53.63) |
Benefits of the DNR discussion | |
Reduction of suffering | 382 (72.90) |
Arrangement of medical care as wished | 380 (72.52) |
Reduction of families’ burden | 371 (70.80) |
Arrangement of funeral as wished | 304 (58.02) |
Arrangement of property as wished | 214 (40.84) |
Barriers that stopped you wanting to discuss DNR | |
Families’ worries | 267 (50.95) |
Uncertainty about future physical changes | 245 (46.76) |
No one to discuss it with | 80 (15.27) |
Families’ opinions | 64 (12.21) |
Worries that physicians gave up treatment | 58 (11.07) |
Families can understand my ideas without discussion | 57 (10.88) |
Taboo of death | 40 (7.63) |
Barriers to the DNR discussion with your family member with advanced disease | |
Worry that they cannot handle the topic | 307 (58.59) |
Do not know when the appropriate timing is | 216 (41.22) |
Do not know how to discuss it with them | 192 (36.64) |
Do not know the progress of the disease | 188 (35.88) |
Should let the medical staff discuss it | 153 (29.20) |
Worry that they might refuse/reject treatment | 136 (25.95) |
Worry about the taboo of death | 122 (23.28) |
Worry about others’ gossip (e.g., property) | 96 (18.32) |