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Preferences for death and dying among veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Reinke LF, Uman J, Udris EM, Moss BR, Au DH. Preferences for death and dying among veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The American journal of hospice & palliative care. 2013 Dec 1; 30(8):768-72.

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Abstract:

RATIONALE: Studies identify common factors important for a "good death." However, it is important for clinicians to individualize end-of-life care by eliciting patients' preferences. We sought to determine preferences for death and dying among veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by performing a cross-sectional study. Participants (n = 376) completed a preferences about death and dying questionnaire. RESULTS: Common themes ranked as most important by veterans include health care costs (86.6%) and avoiding strain on loved ones (78.8%). Unique items include being unafraid of dying (67.1%) and having discussed your treatment preferences with your clinician (59.3%). CONCLUSION: Preferences for death and dying are consistent among individuals with life-limiting illness, thus should be incorporated as core components in all end-of-life care planning. We identified unique preferences important to patients with COPD. This study suggests that clinicians need to engage in end-of-life discussions to learn about individual preferences to improve the patients' dying experience.





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