Table 1.
Patient Characteristics, by Prioritized End-of-Life Valuea
| Relief of Discomfort | Extending Life | Unsure | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTAL, n (%) | 323 (60.4) | 89 (16.6) | 123 (23.0) | 535 (100) |
| Characteristic | ||||
| Age, median (IQR) | 76.8 (17.0) | 69.2 (18.6) | 74.4 (19.9) | 76.0 (17.9) |
| Female | 166 (51.4) | 35 (39.3) | 53 (43.1) | 254 (47.5) |
| Racial/ethnic minority | 57 (17.6) | 34 (38.2) | 20 (16.3) | 111 (20.7) |
| Currently married or living with partnerb | 136 (42.1) | 42 (47.2) | 66 (54.1) | 244 (45.7) |
| Level of educationb | ||||
| 8th grade or less | 7 (2.2) | 2 (2.2) | 4 (3.3) | 13 (2.4) |
| Some high school | 20 (6.2) | 6 (6.7) | 6 (4.9) | 32 (6.0) |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 39 (12.1) | 15 (16.9) | 19 (15.6) | 73 (13.7) |
| Trade school or some college | 129 (39.9) | 45 (50.6) | 45 (36.9) | 219 (41.0) |
| 4-year college degree | 60 (18.6) | 11 (12.4) | 21 (17.2) | 92 (17.2) |
| Some graduate school | 14 (4.3) | 3 (3.4) | 6 (4.9) | 23 (4.3) |
| Graduate degree | 54 (16.7) | 7 (7.9) | 21 (17.2) | 82 (15.4) |
| Self-perceived health statusc | ||||
| Poor | 50 (15.5) | 13 (14.8) | 14 (11.5) | 77 (14.4) |
| Fair | 98 (30.3) | 24 (27.3) | 43 (35.2) | 165 (31.0) |
| Good | 108 (33.4) | 36 (40.9) | 43 (35.2) | 187 (35.1) |
| Very good | 52 (16.1) | 10 (11.4) | 17 (13.9) | 79 (14.8) |
| Excellent | 15 (4.6) | 5 (5.7) | 5 (4.1) | 25 (4.7) |
| Charlson comorbidity score, median (IQR)d | 7.0 (2.0) | 7.0 (3.0) | 7.0 (4.0) | 7.0 (3.0) |
| Any hospitalization in 18 months before study enrollmente | 149 (46.3) | 51 (57.3) | 50 (41.3) | 250 (47.0) |
| Qualifying conditions | ||||
| Diagnoses | ||||
| Advanced cancer | 50 (15.5) | 13 (14.6) | 34 (27.6) | 97 (18.1) |
| Chronic lung disease | 33 (10.2) | 8 (9.0) | 11 (8.9) | 52 (9.7) |
| Heart failure | 20 (6.2) | 9 (10.1) | 4 (3.3) | 33 (6.2) |
| Liver failure | 1 (0.3) | 1 (1.1) | 1 (0.8) | 3 (0.6) |
| Renal failure | 14 (4.3) | 5 (5.6) | 3 (2.4) | 22 (4.1) |
| Other conditions | ||||
| Age 75+ with chronic life-limiting condition | 128 (39.6) | 27 (30.3) | 43 (35.0) | 198 (37.0) |
| Age 90+ | 30 (9.3) | 2 (2.2) | 4 (3.3) | 36 (6.7) |
| Hospitalized w/serious condition in 18 mo before study enrollment | 52 (16.1) | 20 (22.5) | 18 (14.6) | 90 (16.8) |
| Charlson comorbidity score of 6+ | 266 (82.4) | 69 (77.5) | 105 (85.4) | 440 (82.2) |
| Depression symptoms | ||||
| PHQ2: feeling down/depressed/hopelessf | ||||
| Not at all | 200 (62.9) | 60 (68.2) | 84 (68.9) | 344 (65.2) |
| Several days | 77 (24.2) | 21 (23.9) | 32 (26.2) | 130 (24.6) |
| More than half the days | 26 (8.2) | 3 (3.4) | 4 (3.3) | 33 (6.3) |
| Nearly every day | 15 (4.7) | 4 (4.5) | 2 (1.6) | 21 (4.0) |
Except where otherwise noted, each cell contains the number (percentage of valid cases for the column) with the characteristic.
One case in the unsure group was missing data on this characteristic.
One case in the extending life group and one case in the unsure group were missing data on this characteristic.
Three cases in the relief of pain and discomfort group and three cases in the unsure group were missing data on this characteristic.
One case in the relief of pain and discomfort group and two cases in the unsure group were missing data on this characteristic.
Five cases in the relief of pain and discomfort group, one case in the extending life group, and one case in the unsure group were missing data on this characteristic.