Table 2 Awareness of health professionals about the Act
Variable | Nurses (n = 110) | Doctors (n = 104) | t | p | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |||||
Age (years) | 29.1 | 6.26 | 33.81 | 7.98 | ||||
Clinical experience (years) | 5.81 | 6.13 | 4.71 | 6.31 | ||||
How much explain the Act to patients (0–10) | 4.61 | 2.07 | 5.73 | 2.67 | −3.38 | 0.001 | ||
How well the Act is implemented in practice (0–10) | 5.47 | 1.66 | 5.47 | 2.51 | 0.005 | 0.996 | ||
Awareness of the Act | n | % | n | % | X2 | p | ||
Highly aware | 13 | 11.8 | 27 | 26 | 7.33 | 0.026 | ||
Somewhat aware | 87 | 79.1 | 67 | 64.4 | ||||
Heard of it | 10 | 9.1 | 10 | 9.6 | ||||
Suspension of meaningless LST | ||||||||
Definitely agree | 34 | 31 | 50 | 48.1 | 7.42 | 0.060 | ||
Agree | 70 | 63.6 | 49 | 47.1 | ||||
Disagree | 5 | 4.5 | 3 | 2.9 | ||||
Definitely disagree | 1 | 0.9 | 2 | 1.9 | ||||
Who should decide LST suspension | ||||||||
Patients | 26 | 23.6 | 10 | 9.6 | 14.1 | 0.003 | ||
Family members | 72 | 65.5 | 87 | 83.7 | ||||
Primary physician | 12 | 10.9 | 7 | 6.7 | ||||
Time to sign the advance LST statement | ||||||||
When diagnosed with terminal illness | 12 | 10.9 | 9 | 8.7 | 5.5 | 0.358 | ||
When hospice care is decided | 17 | 15.5 | 13 | 12.5 | ||||
Critical condition but conscious | 65 | 59.1 | 59 | 56.7 | ||||
Critical condition and unconscious | 15 | 13.6 | 20 | 19.2 | ||||
Others | 1 | 0.9 | 3 | 2.9 | ||||
LST decided by family if patients cannot | ||||||||
Agree | 65 | 59.1 | 64 | 61.5 | 0.134 | 0.715 | ||
Agree when pre-requested | 45 | 40.9 | 40 | 38.5 | ||||
Disagree | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Important factors for LST-related decisions | ||||||||
Recovery possibility | 47 | 42.7 | 57 | 54.8 | 4.798 | 0.441 | ||
Patient suffering | 28 | 25.5 | 20 | 19.2 | ||||
Patient wishes | 31 | 28.2 | 25 | 24 | ||||
Family wishes and requests | 3 | 2.7 | 2 | 1.9 | ||||
Economic burden | 1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Policy and legal processes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Awareness of LST since the Act | ||||||||
Improved | 72 | 65.5 | 75 | 72.1 | 2.86 | 0.239 | ||
Somewhat improved | 22 | 20 | 12 | 11.5 | ||||
No change | 16 | 14.5 | 17 | 16.3 | ||||
Most challenging issues in implementing the Act | ||||||||
Filling out the legal form | 4 | 3.6 | 7 | 6.7 | 3.001 | 0.558 | ||
Deciding the right timing | 51 | 46.4 | 41 | 39.4 | ||||
Family opinion against the patient | 28 | 25.5 | 34 | 32.7 | ||||
Family overturning the decision | 25 | 22.7 | 21 | 20.2 | ||||
Inconsistent with personal beliefs | 2 | 1.8 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Who should make the decision about LST for those without immediate family | ||||||||
Primary physician | 16 | 14.5 | 22 | 21.2 | 14.2 | 0.027 | ||
Hospital ethics committee | 9 | 8.2 | 9 | 8.7 | ||||
Doctor and ethics committee | 61 | 55.5 | 68 | 65.4 | ||||
Appointed social worker | 3 | 2.7 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Appointed guardian | 15 | 13.6 | 4 | 3.8 | ||||
Others responsible for the patient | 6 | 5.4 | 1 | 1 | ||||