Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of this cohort
| N | Percentage (%) | Mean | Standard deviation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Male | 76 | 58.9 | ||
| Female | 53 | 41.1 | ||
| Age (years old) | 61.69 | 13.14 | ||
| ≥ 49 | 20 | 15.5 | ||
| 50 ~ 64 | 59 | 45.7 | ||
| 65 ~ 74 | 25 | 19.4 | ||
| ≥ 75 | 25 | 19.4 | ||
| Level of education | ||||
| Below Junior High School | 39 | 30.2 | ||
| Junior High School | 48 | 37.2 | ||
| College and above | 42 | 32.6 | ||
| Marriage | ||||
| Married | 98 | 76.0 | ||
| Single | 20 | 15.5 | ||
| Divorced, Separated, Widowed | 4 | 3.1 | ||
| Religion | ||||
| No | 33 | 25.6 | ||
| Buddhism or Taoism | 86 | 66.7 | ||
| Roman Catholicism or Christianity | 10 | 7.8 | ||
| Residential Status | ||||
| Living Alone | 8 | 6.2 | ||
| Living with Family | 119 | 92.2 | ||
| Living with Others | 2 | 1.6 | ||
| Financial Status | ||||
| Sufficient work income to support | 45 | 34.9 | ||
| Sufficient savings or retirement funds to support | 34 | 26.4 | ||
| Depend on family and friends for support | 43 | 33.3 | ||
| Depend on social assistance for support | 7 | 5.4 | ||
| Comorbidity | ||||
| Hypertension | 75 | 58.1 | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 52 | 40.3 | ||
| Cardiovascular disease | 33 | 25.6 | ||
| Arrhythmia | 20 | 15.5 | ||
| Dyslipidemia | 13 | 10.1 | ||
| Heart failure | 5 | 3.9 | ||
| Peptic ulcer disease | 5 | 3.9 | ||
| Malignancy | 5 | 3.9 | ||
| Ischemic heart disease | 4 | 3.1 | ||
| Stroke | 4 | 3.1 | ||
| Others | 19 | 14.7 | ||
| Times of hemodialysis per week | ||||
| 2 | 8 | 6.2 | ||
| 3 | 121 | 93.8 | ||
| Vintage of hemodialysis (years) | 6.98 | 6.62 | ||
| < 5 | 59 | 45.7 | ||
| 5 ~ 9 | 37 | 28.7 | ||
| ≥ 1 | 33 | 25.6 | ||
| The main reasons for choosing the dialysis method | ||||
| Doctor’s recommendation | 83 | 64.3 | ||
| Personal preference | 44 | 34.1 | ||
| Family’s expectations | 2 | 1.6 | ||
| (Formerly) Engaged in medical-related work | ||||
| Yes | 8 | 6.2 | ||
| No | 121 | 93.8 | ||
| Feeling confused about the current dialysis decision | ||||
| Yes | 15 | 11.6 | ||
| No | 114 | 88.4 | ||
| Have you signed a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order or an Advance Care Planning (ACP) and Advance Directive (AD) document for palliative care and life-sustaining treatment decisions? | ||||
| Yes | 17 | 13.2 | ||
| No | 112 | 86.8 | ||
| Have healthcare providers discussed with you and your family about the prognosis and estimated survival time for dialysis? | ||||
| Yes | 19 | 14.7 | ||
| No | 110 | 85.3 | ||
| Have healthcare providers discussed with you or your family about medical decisions when the condition worsens and becomes life-threatening? | ||||
| Yes | 18 | 14.0 | ||
| No | 111 | 86.0 | ||
| Healthcare providers have provided you or your family with information about Advance Care Planning (ACP) and Advance Directives (AD) | ||||
| Yes | 5 | 3.9 | ||
| No | 124 | 96.1 | ||
| Have you ever discussed medical decisions with your family when the condition worsens and becomes life-threatening? | ||||
| Yes | 40 | 31.0 | ||
| No | 89 | 69.0 | ||