Table 1.
Patient characteristics according to written planning status
| Variables | With Written ACP n=149 | Without Written ACP n=144 | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age (range) | 56 (28–80) | 52 (18–79) | 0.001 |
| Sex | 0.94 | ||
| Males | 78 (52) | 76 (53) | |
| Females | 71 (48) | 68 (47) | |
| Race | 0.14 | ||
| White | 138 (93) | 126 (88) | |
| Non-white | 11 (7) | 18 (12) | |
| Marital status | 0.12 | ||
| Married | 123 (82) | 101 (71) | |
| Single | 10 (7) | 18 (12) | |
| Divorced | 12 (8) | 18 (12) | |
| Widowed | 4 (3) | 7 (5) | |
| Current work status | 0.31 | ||
| In school | --- | 2 (1) | |
| Full time working | 57 (38) | 57 (40) | |
| Part time working | 13 (9) | 19 (13) | |
| Homemaker | 6 (4) | 4 (3) | |
| Disabled | 7 (5) | 13 (9) | |
| On medical leave | 21 (14) | 18 (13) | |
| Unemployed | 9 (6) | 9 (6) | |
| Retired | 36 (24) | 21 (15) | |
| Highest education attainment | 0.14 | ||
| Grade school | ---- | 1 (1) | |
| Some high school | 2 (1) | 4 (3) | |
| High school graduate | 14 (10) | 26 (18) | |
| Some college | 32 (21) | 33 (23) | |
| College | 51 (34) | 44 (31) | |
| Post-graduate | 50 (34) | 35 (24) | |
| Annual Income | 0.03 | ||
| Under $15000 | ---- | 7 (5) | |
| $15000 – $24999 | 4 (3) | 8 (6) | |
| $25000 – $49999 | 19 (14) | 26 (20) | |
| $50000 – $74999 | 28 (20) | 22 (17) | |
| $75000 – $99999 | 28 (20) | 18 (14) | |
| $100000 or above | 59 (43) | 51 (39) | |
| Diagnosis | 0.02 | ||
| Lymphoma | 32 (21) | 54 (38) | |
| Acute Leukemia | 35 (23) | 17 (12) | |
| Myelodysplastic syndrome | 30 (20) | 24 (17) | |
| Multiple myeloma | 26 (17) | 23 (16) | |
| Chronic Leukemia | 23 (15) | 24 (17) | |
| Other | 3 (2) | 2 (1) | |
| Have received cancer related treatment | 0.003 | ||
| No | 73 (50) | 94 (65) | |
| Yes | 73 (50) | 50 (35) | |
| Chemotherapy alone | 64 (88) | 36 (72) | 0.008 |
| Radiation ± chemotherapy | 1 (1) | 8 (16) | |
| Stem cell/Bone Marrow transplant | 8 (11) | 6 (12) | |
| Currently receiving or will receive cancer related treatment | 0.85 | ||
| No | 75 (52) | 75 (53) | |
| Yes | 70 (48) | 67 (47) | |
| Chemotherapy alone | 59 (85) | 54 (80) | 0.31 |
| Radiation ± chemotherapy | 8 (11) | 4 (6) | |
| Stem cell/Bone Marrow transplant | 3 (4) | 6 (14) | |
| Median Charlson Comorbidity score (range) | 0 (0–5) | 0 (0–5) | 0.22 |
| Influence of religion/spirituality in daily life | 0.63 | ||
| Not at all | 20 (13) | 19 (13) | |
| Very little | 21 (14) | 19 (13) | |
| Somewhat | 33 (22) | 42 (29) | |
| Quite a bit | 28 (19) | 27 (19) | |
| A great deal | 47 (32) | 36 (25) | |
| Point of view about decision-making regarding medical care and treatment | 0.24 | ||
| Decision left to doctor | 5 (3) | 12 (8) | |
| Decision made by doctor with significant inputs from patient | 29 (20) | 34 (24) | |
| Decision equally shared by doctor and patients | 56 (38) | 54 (38) | |
| Decision made by patient with significant input from doctor | 54 (36) | 40 (28) | |
| Decision left to patient | 4 (3) | 3 (2) |