Table 3.

Associations Among Advance Directives, Medical Orders, and Quality of Life in the Week Before Death

DNR Orders (n=331)
	Unadjusted Betaa	SE	P-value	Adjusted Betab	SE	P-value
Entire sample	0.73	0.29	0.01	0.75	0.30	0.01
Prefers no heroic measures (n=252)	0.60	0.33	0.07	0.65	0.34	0.06
Prefers heroic measures (n=79)	1.06	0.66	0.11	0.98	0.68	0.15

Living Wills/Durable Powers of Attorney (n=336)
	Unadjusted Beta	SE	P-value	Adjustedb Beta	SE	P-value
Entire sample	0.20	0.29	0.49	0.42	0.34	0.21
Prefers no heroic measures (n=256)	0.08	0.34	0.82	0.30	0.39	0.44
Prefers heroic measures (n=80)	0.31	0.65	0.64	0.34	0.74	0.64

DNR = do not resuscitate; SE = standard error.

^aRepresents change in quality of life associated with presence of an advance directive or medical order.

^bAdjusted for sociodemographics, illness characteristics, and rater identity.