Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://ahro.austin.org.au/austinjspui/handle/1/26100
Title: Public knowledge, preferences and experiences about medical substitute decision-making: a national cross-sectional survey.
Austin Authors: Sellars, Marcus ;Tran, Julien;Nolte, Linda ;White, Ben;Sinclair, Craig;Fetherstonhaugh, Deirdre;Detering, Karen M 
Affiliation: Department of Health Services Research & Policy, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Advance Care Planning
Faculty of Health, Arts and Innovation, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Australian Centre for Evidence Based Aged Care, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Issue Date: 15-Mar-2021
Date: 2021-03-15
Publication information: BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2021; online first: 15 March
Abstract: To describe the Australian adult public's knowledge and experiences regarding substitute decision-making for medical decisions and their preferences for obtaining information about the substitute decision-maker (SDM) role. This is a national cross-sectional online survey of the Australian adult public. The survey examined participants' advance care planning (ACP) awareness and experience, SDM experiences and preferences for obtaining more information about SDM, and participant knowledge about SDM. Of 1586 people who opened the survey, 1120 (70.6%) were included in the final sample. 13% (n=142) of participants indicated they had acted as an SDM. A median score of two correct responses out of five showed low to moderate knowledge about the SDM role among all participants, with only 33% reporting awareness of SDM laws existing in Australia. While most (59%) participants ranked a health professional as their preferred source of obtaining information about supporting SDMs, few participants who had been an SDM (n=64, 45%) reported obtaining any support in making medical decisions. The median SDM knowledge scores for people who had discussed ACP (3.0 vs 2.0, U=1 45 222, z=6.910, p<0.001), documented their ACP preferences (3.0 vs 2.0, U=71 984, z=4.087, p<0.001) or acted in the SDM role (3.0 vs 2.0, U=56 353, z=-3.694, p<0.001) were significantly higher compared with those who had not. The Australian public may have low to moderate knowledge about the SDM role and access only minimal support when making challenging medical decisions.
URI: https://ahro.austin.org.au/austinjspui/handle/1/26100
DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002619
ORCID: 0000-0002-8299-0313
0000-0003-3365-939X
Journal: BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care
PubMed URL: 33722813
Type: Journal Article
Subjects: end of life care
Appears in Collections:Journal articles

Show full item record

Page view(s)

38
checked on Mar 28, 2024

Google ScholarTM

Check


Items in AHRO are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.