TABLE 1.
Demographic and Health-Related Characteristics of the Older Respondents and Their Answers Stratified by ICU Admission Preference
| Respondent Characteristics | Cohort (n = 202 Older Outpatients) | ICU Admission Preferences in Up To Three Hypothetical Scenarios (n = 590 Answers) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opting for ICU Admission (n = 228) | Opting Against ICU Admission (n = 238) | Not Wishing to Engage in the Decision (n = 124) | ||
| Age | ||||
| Mean ± sd | 85.6 ± 3.9 | 84.9 ± 3.5 | 85.4 ± 4.0 | 86.9 ± 4.2 |
| 80–84 yr | 90 | 106 (41%) | 110 (42%) | 45 (17%) |
| 85–89 yr | 76 | 93 (42%) | 89 (40%) | 41 (18%) |
| ≥ 90 yr | 34 | 23 (23%) | 39 (39%) | 38 (38%) |
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 100 | 73 (25%) | 151 (52%) | 69 (24%) |
| Male | 94 | 139 (51%) | 83 (30%) | 52 (20%) |
| Marital status | ||||
| Single | 12 | 12 (35%) | 17 (50%) | 5 (15%) |
| Married/partner | 99 | 128 (44%) | 106 (37%) | 54 (19%) |
| Widowed | 76 | 66 (29%) | 103 (45%) | 60 (26%) |
| Separated/divorced | 9 | 14 (52%) | 9 (33%) | 4 (15%) |
| Religion | ||||
| Christian | 151 | 181 (41%) | 174 (40%) | 84 (19%) |
| Other religion | 2 | 3 (50%) | 3 (50%) | 0 (0%) |
| No religion | 41 | 35 (29%) | 52 (43%) | 34 (28%) |
| Highest education | ||||
| Primary school | 39 | 41 (37%) | 37 (34%) | 32 (29%) |
| Secondary school | 31 | 30 (33%) | 45 (50%) | 16 (18%) |
| Vocational college | 51 | 60 (40%) | 61 (40%) | 30 (20%) |
| University | 78 | 93 (41%) | 93 (41%) | 43 (19%) |
| Healthcare professional | ||||
| No | 156 | 190 (42%) | 168 (37%) | 98 (22%) |
| Yes | 35 | 25 (24%) | 57 (55%) | 21 (20%) |
| CPS | ||||
| Mean ± sd | 6.4 ± 4.0 | 6.8 ± 4.6 | 6.0 ± 3.5 | 6.5 ± 3.6 |
| Mild (CPS 0–7) | 126 | 145 (39%) | 152 (41%) | 73 (20%) |
| Moderate (CPS 8–14) | 56 | 65 (39%) | 68 (41%) | 33 (20%) |
| Morbid (CPS ≥ 15) | 9 | 16 (67%) | 6 (25%) | 2 (8%) |
| Hospital admission within last year | ||||
| No | 134 | 138 (35%) | 163 (42%) | 91 (23%) |
| Yes | 68 | 90 (46%) | 75 (38%) | 33 (17%) |
| CFS | ||||
| Mean ± sd | 3.0 ± 1.3 | 3.0 ± 1.3 | 3.0 ± 1.3 | 2.8 ± 1.3 |
| Fit (CFS 1–3) | 133 | 149 (38%) | 154 (39%) | 89 (23%) |
| Vulnerable (CFS 4) | 28 | 30 (37%) | 42 (51%) | 10 (12%) |
| Frail (CFS ≥ 5) | 28 | 38 (47%) | 28 (35%) | 14 (18%) |
| Health-related quality of life (EuroQoL 5D Visual Analogue Scale) | ||||
| Mean ± sd | 71.7 ± 18.2 | 71.2 ± 19.3 | 72.1 ± 18.0 | 74.6 ± 15.5 |
| ICU experience (as patient or relative)a | ||||
| No | 124 | 121 (33%) | 165 (46%) | 76 (21%) |
| Yes | 68 | 97 (49%) | 64 (32%) | 39 (20%) |
| Communicated end-of-life preferences to nest-of-kin | ||||
| No | 137 | 162 (41%) | 138 (35%) | 200 (25%) |
| Yes | 60 | 60 (34%) | 93 (53%) | 23 (13%) |
CFS = Clinical Frailty Scale, CPS = Comorbidity-Polypharmacy Score.
a
The effect of prior ICU experience was similar regardless of the respondent having been a patient or a relative.