Table 1.

Characteristics of patients and substitute decision-makers (n = 45)

Patients
Mean age (years)		84.1 ± 8.3
Female		24	53.3%
Diagnosis	Aspiration pneumonia	17
	Dementia	11
	Cerebral infarction	11
	Parkinson disease	2
	Depression	2
	Pneumonia	2
	Intractable neurological diseases	2
	Cancer	1
	Other disease	13
	(multiple answers allowed)
Setting	Acute care hospital	16	35.6%
	Long-term care hospital	8	17.8%
	Mixed care hospital	10	22.2%
	Nursing home	8	17.7%
	Patients’ home	3	6.7%
Physical activity	Bed-bound (cannot toss and turn)	24	53.3%
	Bed-bound (can toss and turn)	10	22.2%
	Primarily use a wheelchair	4	8.9%
	Ambulant	4	8.9%
	Other level	3	6.7%
Communicative ability	Can easily communicate	7	15.6%
	Cannot sometimes communicate	22	48.9%
	Cannot communicate at all	16	35.6%
Ability to convey wishes about PEG placement	Able to convey own wishes	12	26.7%
	Unable to convey own wishes	28	62.2%
	Neither	5	11.1%
Wishes regarding PEG placement	Place PEG	7/12	58.3%
	Withhold PEG	5/12	41.7%
Substitute decision-makers
Mean age (years)		62.1 ± 10.5
Male		25	55.6%
Relationship to the patient	Child	24	53.3%
	Spouse	11	24.4%
	Son/daughter-in-law	5	11.1%
	Nephew/niece	1	2.2%
	Brother/sister-in-law	1	2.2%
	Other relative	3	6.7%
How decision aid was obtained	Website	44	97.8%
	Medical staff	1	2.2%
Read the contents of the decision aid	All	43	95.6%
	Some	1	2.2%
	None	1	2.2%
Consulted with	Physician in charge of the patient	11
	Care manager	6
	Nurse	5
	Physician not in charge of the patient	2
	Social worker	1
	Nobody (multiple answers allowed)	23
Decision in accordance with the patient’s wishes	PEG placed	7/7	100%
	PEG withheld	5/5	100%