Centre for Policy on Ageing



Individual differences and surrogate medical decisions — differing preferences for life-sustaining treatments
Author(s)	R Allen-Burge, W E Haley
Journal title	Aging & Mental Health, vol 1, no 2, May 1997
Pages	pp 121-131
Source	http://www.tandfonline.com
Keywords	White people ; Black people ; Medical care ; Casualty services ; Family care ; Social surveys ; United States of America.
Annotation	This study examines the relationships between patient characteristics and surrogate decision maker characteristics on surrogates' preferences for life-sustaining treatments. Caucasian and African-American caregivers and non-caregivers responded to a vignette involving a medical crisis in a hospitalised older man who suffered cardiac arrest. The man was described as either a cognitively intact or demented family member. Participants made decisions regarding cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), CPR and ventilation, and CPR and tube feeding. In general, participants were less likely to initiate life-sustaining treatments in demented patients. Caucasian caregivers were less likely to initiate CPR and ventilation and CPR and tube feeding. Results indicate that patient characteristics and the interplay between cultural issues with caregiving affect surrogate judgments regarding life-sustaining treatments.
Accession Number	CPA-970529003 A
Classmark	TKA: TKE: LK: LK8: P6:SJ: 3F: 7T
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.