TABLE 1.
Characteristics of Patients With and Without Documented Decision-Making Capacity
| Decision-Making Capacity on Admission* |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| No (N = 27) | Yes (N = 115) | ||
| N (%) | N (%) | P Value | |
| Age >65 | 15 (55.6) | 60 (52.2) | 0.75 |
| Gender (male) | 14 (51.9) | 68 (59.1) | 0.46 |
| Cancer type | |||
| Lung | 12 (44.4) | 42 (36.5) | 0.67 |
| Bone marrow | 5 (18.5) | 35 (30.4) | |
| Liver | 3 (11.1) | 6 (5.2) | |
| Pancreas | 3 (11.1) | 7 (6.10) | |
| Esophagus | 1 (3.7) | 8 (7.0) | |
| Colon | 1 (3.7) | 6 (5.2) | |
| Other† | 2 (7.4) | 11 (9.6) | |
| Prior to admission | |||
| Cancer diagnosis known | 23 (85.2) | 91 (79.1) | 0.48 |
| Living will completed | 6 (22.2) | 26 (22.6 | 0.97 |
| Health care proxy established | 3 (11.1) | 26 (22.6) | 0.18 |
| DNR established | 8 (29.6) | 27 (23.5) | 0.79 |
Abbreviations: DNR, do not resuscitate.
*
Decisional capacity as assessed and documented by the clinician; clinicians assessment of decisional capacity could not be determined in 3 patients.
†
Other cancer types: rectal, stomach, bone sarcoma, renal cell, laryngeal, renal pelvic.