Perceptions and Knowledge Regarding Medical Situations at the End of Life among Older Adults in Switzerland.

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State: Public
Version: author
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_4899CF98A656
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Perceptions and Knowledge Regarding Medical Situations at the End of Life among Older Adults in Switzerland.
Journal
Journal of palliative medicine
Author(s)
Meier C., Vilpert S., Borasio G.D., Maurer J., Jox R.J.
ISSN
1557-7740 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
1557-7740
Publication state
Published
Issued date
05/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
26
Number
1
Pages
35-46
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Observational Study ; Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Background: Perceptions and knowledge regarding end-of-life health and health care can influence individuals' advance care planning, such as the completion and content of advance directives. Objectives: To assess older adults' perceptions of medical end-of-life situations in Switzerland along with their accuracy and corresponding associations with sociodemographic characteristics. Design: This is an observational study. Setting/study subjects: A nationally representative sample of adults aged 58 years and older who participated in wave 8 (2019/2020) of the Swiss part of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (cooperation rate: 94.3%). Measurements: Subjective likelihood of 11 end-of-life situations on a 4-point scale: very unlikely (0-25%), rather unlikely (26%-50%), rather likely (51%-75%), and very likely (76%-100%). Results: Older adults' perceptions of end-of-life medical situations in Switzerland were rather heterogeneous and often inaccurate. Study subjects overestimated the success of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the utility of a fourth-line chemotherapy, of hospital admission for pneumonia for patients with advanced dementia, and for artificial nutrition and hydration in the dying phase, while underestimating the effectiveness of pain management in this situation. Less than 28% of older adults correctly assessed the likelihood of dying in a nursing home, hospital, or at home, respectively. Inaccurate views were more frequent in men (p < 0.01) and individuals with financial difficulties (p < 0.05), whereas adults aged 75+ years (p < 0.01) and respondents from the German-speaking part of Switzerland (p < 0.01) had more accurate perceptions. Conclusions: The wide variation and low accuracy of end-of-life perceptions suggest considerable scope for communication interventions about the reality of end-of-life health and health care in Switzerland.
Keywords
Male, Humans, Aged, Terminal Care, Switzerland, Death, Advance Care Planning, Nursing Homes, end of life, knowledge, older adults, perceptions, population-based study
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
25/05/2022 23:08
Last modification date
22/10/2023 7:10
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