Elderly Participation in Medical Decisions
Author Information
Author(s): Ekdahl Anne W, Andersson Lars, Wiréhn Ann-Britt, Friedrichsen Maria
Primary Institution: Linköping University
Hypothesis
How involved are elderly people with co-morbidities in medical decision making during hospitalization?
Conclusion
Physicians are not fully responsive to patient preferences regarding communication and participation in decision making.
Supporting Evidence
- 52.5% of identified patients responded to the survey.
- 42 out of 153 patients reported not being asked for their opinion.
- 35% of patients experienced barriers to decision making.
Takeaway
Elderly patients often want to be involved in their medical decisions, but many feel they are not asked for their opinions.
Methodology
A cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire and telephone interviews to assess preferences and actual roles in medical decision making.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to low response rate and exclusion of patients who were unreachable or too ill.
Limitations
The study had a low response rate and included very frail patients, which may affect generalizability.
Participant Demographics
{"mean_age":83.1,"gender_distribution":{"male":46.5,"female":53.5},"housing":{"community_dwelling":90,"special_accommodation":10},"marital_status":{"married":45,"unmarried":17,"widowed":38},"education":{"primary_school":64,"secondary_school":28,"university":8}}
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.084
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.45-0.69
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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