Table 3.
Life expectancy and end-of-life communication
| Total group (n = 201) |
Simple CHD (n = 138) |
Moderate/complex CHD (n = 63) |
P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient | ||||
| Have you ever talked to someone close to you about your wishes regarding EOL? | ||||
| Yes | 27.4% (55) | 27.5% (38) | 27.0% (17) | 0.935 |
| No | 72.6% (146) | 72.5% (100) | 73.0% (46) | |
| Would you feel comfortable talking to people close to you about your life expectancy and EOL? | ||||
| Yes | 24.4% (49) | 23.9% (33) | 25.4% (16) | 0.820 |
| No | 75.6% (152) | 76.1% (105) | 74.6% (47) | |
| Would you appreciate it if a member of your treatment team supported you in discussing your life expectancy and EOL with people close to you? | ||||
| Yes | 61.2% (30) | 63.6% (21) | 56.3% (9) | |
| No | 38.8% (19) | 36.4% (12) | 43.9% (7) | 0.619 |
| Do you think that a member of the medical team should bring up questions regarding EOL? | ||||
| Yes | 21.4% (43) | 23.2% (32) | 17.5% (11) | 0.358 |
| No | 78.6% (158) | 76.8% (106) | 82.5% (52) | |
| In your opinion, which is the best moment for one of the members of the treatment team to begin discussing EOL? | ||||
| When you are still in good health | 25.6% (11) | 31.3% (10) | 9.1% (1) | 0.414 |
| When a life-threatening illness/cardiac complication is diagnosed | 37.2% (16) | 37.5% (12) | 36.4% (4) | |
| At the first hospitalization for a life-threatening illness/cardiac complication | 14.0% (6) | 12.5% (4) | 18.2% (2) | |
| During the stage of dying | — | — | — | |
| In every of the mentioned moments | 23.3% (10) | 18.8% (6) | 36.4% (4) | |
| Have you ever discussed with your cardiologist about your questions and wishes regarding your life expectancy and EOL? | ||||
| Yes, about my life expectancy | 14.4% (29) | 9.4% (13) | 25.4% (16) | 0.011 |
| Yes, about end of life | — | — | — | |
| Yes, about both | 0.5% (1) | 0.7% (1) | ||
| No | 85.1% (171) | 89.9% (124) | 74.6% (47) | |
| Do you think that your cardiologist should discuss your life expectancy with you? | ||||
| Yes | 49.3% (99) | 47.8% (66) | 52.4% (33) | 0.549 |
| No | 50.7% (102) | 52.2% (72) | 47.6% (30) | |
| Partner | ||||
| Have you ever talked to someone close to you about the wishes of your partner regarding his/her EOL? | ||||
| Yes | 11.6% (18) | 11.5% (12) | 11.8%(6) | 0.967 |
| No | 88.4% (137) | 88.5% (92) | 88.2% (45) | |
| Do you think that a member of the medical team of your partner should bring up questions regarding EOL? | ||||
| Yes | 33.3% (6) | 33.3% (4) | 33.3% (2) | 1 |
| No | 66.7% (12) | 66.7% (8) | 66.7% (4) | |
| In your opinion, which is the best moment for one of the members of the treatment team to begin discussing EOL of your partner? | ||||
| When you are still in good health | 31.8% (7) | 21.4% (3) | 50.0% (4) | 0.051 |
| When a life-threatening illness/cardiac complication is diagnosed | 31.8% (7) | 50.0% (7) | — | |
| At the first hospitalization for a life-threatening illness/cardiac complication | — | — | — | |
| During the stage of dying | — | — | — | |
| In every of the mentioned moments | 36.4% (8) | 28.6% (4) | 50.0% (4) | |
| Have you ever discussed your questions and wishes about the life expectancy and EOL care of your partner with your treating cardiologist, either alone or together? | ||||
| Yes, about their life expectancy | 14.2% (22) | 7.7% (8) | 27.5% (14) | 0.009 |
| Yes, about their end of life | 3.9% (6) | 3.8% (4) | 3.9% (2) | |
| Yes, about both | 3.9% (6) | 5.8% (6) | — | |
| Yes, but without my partner | 1.3% (2) | 1.0% (1) | 2.0% (1) | |
| No | 76.8% (119) | 81.7% (85) | 66.7% (34) | |
| Do you think that your cardiologist should discuss the life expectancy of your partner with you? | ||||
| Yes | 41.7% (63) | 42.0% (42) | 41.2% (21) | 0.923 |
| No | 58.3% (88) | 58.0% (58) | 58.8% (30) | |
| Do you find difficult to discuss life expectancy and EOL of your partner with him/her? | ||||
| Yes | 19.9% (30) | 17.0% (17) | 25.5% (13) | 0.216 |
| No | 80.1% (121) | 83.0% (83) | 74.5% (38) |