Table 7.

Respondents who want their doctors to make treatment decisions without involving the DPA [family]^* (selected; verbatim)

Doctors have experience/medical knowledge
The doctors know better than my DPA
Doctors study this. It is their job
Trust of doctors
Doctors are the most qualified
Doctors should be the only people making any medical decisions
DPA [family] would not understand/is too emotional/does not know me
My family might think too emotionally and not as logically
My family would be overly emotional; a doctor would be able to use logic while deciding
They would be too emotional to make rational decisions
I don’t believe my family has the capacity to understand which medical treatment would be preferred or best for me
Do not trust DPA [family]
I am separated from my family since 2006
I have a bad relationship with my parents and different medical views. Since I am not yet married, I do not trust the decisions that my parents might make
Not very close, almost strangers
Me and my family don’t see eye to eye on very much nowadays.
Because they don’t have the same moral values I have
Impact on DPA [family]
I don’t want my family to be scared
To minimize the stress on my DPA

^*Respondents are those who selected the answer category: “My doctors should make the decisions without asking my DPA [family] which treatment my DPA [family] thinks makes the most sense.”