Journal of Aging and Health

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

The Diabetes Educator

Click here for more information

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Porensky, E. K.
Right arrow Articles by Carpenter, B. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Porensky, E. K.
Right arrow Articles by Carpenter, B. D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Journal of Aging and Health, Vol. 20, No. 1, 89-106 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0898264307309963

Knowledge and Perceptions in Advance Care Planning

Emily K. Porensky, MA

Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, eporensky{at}wustl.edu

Brian D. Carpenter, PhD

Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri

Objective: This study explores detailed knowledge of medical terminology and connotations of equivocal phrases frequently used in advance care planning. Method: One hundred seventy community-dwelling older adults answered yes-or-no questions about their knowledge of medical conditions and treatments and completed a written questionnaire about their connotations of ambiguous phrases such as "live like a vegetable." Results: On average, participants answered 78% of all factual questions correctly; however, accuracy ranged from 59% to 94% across individuals. Participants knew the most about basic treatment purposes and procedures and the least about treatment outcomes. Perceptions of equivocal phrases were idiosyncratic, even for conventional terms such as improvement. Discussion: Older adults approach advance care planning with critical misconceptions and individualistic perceptions, about which family and health care professionals may be unaware. Efforts to improve advance care planning should include instruction concerning medical information and encouragement to use explicit language to express treatment preferences.

Key Words: advance directives • advance care planning • knowledge


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?