 |
 |

Prospective Study of Health Status Preferences and Changes in Preferences Over Time in Older Adults
Terri R. Fried, MD;
Amy L. Byers, PhD;
William T. Gallo, PhD;
Peter H. Van Ness, PhD, MPH;
Virginia R. Towle, MPhil;
John R. OLeary, MA;
Joel A. Dubin, PhD
Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:890-895.
Background Instructional forms of advance care planning depend on the ability of patients to predict their future treatment preferences. However, preferences may change with changes in patients' health states.
Methods We conducted in-home interviews of 226 older community-dwelling persons with advanced cancer, congestive heart failure, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at least every 4 months for up to 2 years. Patients were asked to rate whether treatment for their illness would be acceptable if it resulted in 1 of 4 health states.
Results The likelihood of rating as acceptable a treatment resulting in mild (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.16) or severe (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09) functional disability increased with each month of participation. Patients who experienced a decline in their ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living were more likely to rate as acceptable treatment resulting in mild (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.08-1.40) or severe (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.11-1.37) disability. Although the overall likelihood of rating treatment resulting in a state of pain as acceptable did not change over time (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96-1.01), patients who had moderate to severe pain were more likely to rate this treatment as acceptable (OR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.56-4.19) than were those who did not have moderate to severe pain.
Conclusions For some patients, the acceptability of treatment resulting in certain diminished states of health increases with time, and increased acceptability is more likely among patients experiencing a decline in that same domain. These changes pose a challenge to advance care planning, which asks patients to predict their future treatment preferences.
Author Affiliations: Clinical Epidemiology Research Center, VA Connecticut Healthcare System (Dr Fried), Departments of Medicine (Dr Fried) and Epidemiology and Public Health (Drs Gallo, Van Ness, and Dubin), and Program on Aging (Dr Van Ness, Ms Towle, and Mr OLeary), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn; and Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY (Dr Byers).
CiteULike Connotea Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati Twitter
What's this?
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
 |
How Much Do Patients' Preferences Contribute To Resource Use?
Anthony et al.
Health Aff (Millwood) 2009;28:864-873.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Affective Forecasting and Advance Care Planning: Anticipating Quality of Life in Future Health Statuses
Winter et al.
J Health Psychol 2009;14:447-456.
ABSTRACT
Stability of Preferences for End-of-Life Treatment After 3 Years of Follow-up: The Johns Hopkins Precursors Study
Wittink et al.
Arch Intern Med 2008;168:2125-2130.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Religion, Risk, and Medical Decision Making at the End of Life
Van Ness et al.
J Aging Health 2008;20:545-559.
ABSTRACT
Stability and Change in Patient Preferences and Spouse Substituted Judgments Regarding Dialysis Continuation
Pruchno et al.
Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Science 2008;63:S81-S91.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Communication About Chronic Critical Illness
Nelson et al.
Arch Intern Med 2007;167:2509-2515.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Preferences regarding end-of-life cancer care and associations with good-death concepts: a population-based survey in Japan
Sanjo et al.
Ann Oncol 2007;18:1539-1547.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients: A Review of the Literature
Dy
AM J HOSP PALLIAT CARE 2006;23:369-377.
ABSTRACT
|