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Journal of General Internal Medicine logoLink to Journal of General Internal Medicine
. 1998 Jan;13(1):43–45. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.1998.00008.x

Patient and Physician Roles in End-of-Life Decision Making

Sarah Coate Johnston 1, Mark P Pfeifer 2; the End-of-Life Study Group
PMCID: PMC1496890  PMID: 9462494

Abstract

This study is a cross-sectional descriptive survey of randomly selected primary care patients and physicians regarding patient, physician, and family roles in end-of-life decision making. The subjects included 329 adult outpatients and 272 practicing physicians. Physicians were more likely than patients to believe the patient alone was responsible for making end-of-life decisions. Patients were more likely than physicians to believe the physician should provide a recommendation in addition to facts to help the patient make end-of-life decisions. We conclude that patients prefer a more active role for physicians in both decision making and discussion of end-of-life care than do physicians themselves.

Keywords: physician-patient relationships, medical decision making, life support care, patient, physician


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