Table 1.

Responses from a sample of 900 US individuals on the main questions in the online advanced directives

	Combined	Male	Female
Life-sustaining treatments
Stop all life-sustaining treatments	759 (84.3%)	353 (86.7%)	406 (82.4%)
Keep trying life-sustaining treatments…	71 (7.9%)	28 (6.9%)	43 (8.7%)
For selected period	9 (12.7%)	7 (25.0%)	2 (4.7%)
Indefinitely	12 (16.9%)	4 (14.3%)	8 (18.6%)
Let healthcare agent decide	50 (70.4%)	17 (60.7%)	33 (76.7%)
Neither of the options works for me	70 (7.8%)	26 (6.4%)	44 (8.9%)
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Want CPR attempted with limitations	629 (69.9%)	288 (70.7%)	339 (68.8%)
Do not want CPR in any circumstance	76 (8.4%)	37 (9.1%)	40 (8.1%)
Let healthcare agent decide	150 (16.7%)	60 (14.7%)	90 (18.3%)
Want CPR attempted in all circumstances	44 (4.9%)	21 (5.2%)	24 (4.9%)
Not sure	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)
Consulting a supportive and palliative care team
Yes	846 (94.0%)	371 (91.2%)	475 (96.4%)
No	54 (6.0%)	36 (8.9%)	18 (3.7%)
Where to spend the final days
At home	574 (63.8%)	276 (67.8%)	298 (60.5%)
Hospice care at home	486 (84.7%)	228 (82.6%)	258 (86.6%)
In the hospital	29 (3.2%)	14 (3.4%)	15 (3.0%)
Consultation with a palliative care team	21 (72.4%)	11 (78.6%)	10 (66.7%)
In a hospice facility	116 (12.9%)	45 (11.1%)	71 (14.4%)
Not sure	181 (20.1%)	72 (17.7%)	109 (22.1%)
Autopsy
Want an autopsy if my doctor thinks it will help others	282 (31.3%)	134 (32.9%)	148 (30.0%)
Want an autopsy only if there are questions about my death	254 (28.2%)	104 (25.6%)	150 (30.4%)
Do not want an autopsy	147 (16.3%)	69 (17.0%)	78 (15.8%)
Want the person who's designated by law to make this decision to decide after I die	174 (19.3%)	84 (20.6%)	90 (15.3%)
Not sure	43 (4.8%)	16 (3.9%)	27 (5.5%)
Organ and tissue donations
Donate organs	554 (61.6%)	247 (60.7%)	307 (62.3%)
Do not donate	346 (38.4%)	160 (39.3%)	186 (37.7%)