Table 1.
Baseline characteristics by serious illness treatment preference response
| Characteristic | Combined (n=382) | Live as Long as Possible (n=75) | Try Treatments, but Do Not Suffer (n=134) | Focus on Comfort (n=126) | Unsure (n=47) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, yr | 71 [66–77] | 70 [65–75] | 71 [66–78] | 73 [68–78] | 68 [65–74] |
| Women | 46 (174) | 41 (31) | 44 (59) | 46 (58) | 55 (26) |
| Race | |||||
| Black | 16 (61) | 24 (18) | 12 (16) | 11 (14) | 28 (13) |
| White | 84 (317) | 73 (55) | 87 (117) | 88 (111) | 72 (34) |
| Other | 1 (4) | 3 (2) | 1 (1) | 1 (1) | 0 (0) |
| Marital status | |||||
| Married | 65 (249) | 60 (45) | 70 (94) | 61 (77) | 70 (33) |
| Divorced | 11 (42) | 19 (14) | 8 (11) | 10 (13) | 9 (4) |
| Widowed | 18 (70) | 11 (8) | 18 (24) | 24 (30) | 17 (8) |
| Single/other | 5 (21) | 11 (8) | 4 (5) | 5 (6) | 4 (2) |
| Insurance | |||||
| Private | 27 (104) | 28 (21) | 30 (40) | 22 (28) | 32 (15) |
| Medicaid/medical assistance | 3 (13) | 11 (8) | 1 (2) | 2 (2) | 2 (1) |
| Medicare | 69 (262) | 60 (45) | 69 (92) | 75 (94) | 66 (31) |
| Education | |||||
| Some high school | 10 (38) | 16 (12) | 10 (14) | 7 (9) | 6 (3) |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 28 (106) | 24 (18) | 22 (30) | 30 (38) | 43 (20) |
| Some college | 23 (89) | 24 (18) | 28 (37) | 17 (22) | 26 (12) |
| College degree or higher | 39 (149) | 36 (27) | 40 (53) | 45 (57) | 26 (12) |
| Household income (annual, in thousands) | |||||
| <20 | 15 (57) | 23 (17) | 10 (14) | 13 (16) | 21 (10) |
| 20–40 | 25 (94) | 25 (19) | 25 (34) | 21 (26) | 32 (15) |
| 40–60 | 19 (71) | 19 (14) | 23 (31) | 17 (22) | 9 (4) |
| 60–80 | 14 (55) | 8 (6) | 15 (20) | 16 (20) | 19 (9) |
| ≥80 | 23 (88) | 21 (16) | 24 (32) | 27 (34) | 13 (6) |
| Decline to answer | 4 (17) | 4 (3) | 2 (3) | 6 (8) | 6 (3) |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Hypertension | 96 (368) | 99 (74) | 99 (132) | 94 (118) | 94 (44) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 49 (189) | 37 (28) | 54 (73) | 48 (61) | 57 (27) |
| CAD | 28 (108) | 27 (20) | 31 (42) | 25 (31) | 32 (15) |
| CVD | 18 (67) | 11 (8) | 17 (23) | 21 (27) | 19 (9) |
| PVD | 11 (41) | 16 (12) | 7 (10) | 10 (13) | 13 (6) |
| Cardiovascular disease | 40 (151) | 35 (26) | 42 (56) | 39 (49) | 43 (20) |
| Heart failure | 20 (78) | 21 (16) | 20 (27) | 20 (25) | 21 (10) |
| Cancer | 27 (104) | 28 (21) | 28 (38) | 26 (33) | 26 (12) |
| Chronic lung disease | 14 (53) | 13 (10) | 18 (24) | 11 (14) | 11 (5) |
| CCI | 6 [4–7] | 5 [4–7] | 6 [5–7] | 5 [4–7] | 6 [4–7] |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 30.3 [26.0–35.1] | 29.8 [25.5–33.8] | 30.3 [25.8–34.9] | 30.2 [26.3–35.8] | 33.2 [28.2–37.1] |
| eGFR (MDRD)a | 23 [17–28] | 24 [16–29] | 23 [18–28] | 23 [18–27] | 23[17–28] |
| ADL score | 5 [5–5] | 5 [5–5] | 5 [5–5] | 5 [5–5] | 5 [5–5] |
| iADL score | 8 [7–8] | 8 [7–8] | 8 [7–8] | 8 [6–8] | 8 [7–8] |
| POS-S Renal | 8 [4–15] | 7.5 [3–12] | 10 [5–15] | 8 [4–15] | 7 [4–15] |
Continuous variables are presented as median [IQR], categorical variables are presented as percent (n). CAD, coronary artery disease; CVD, cerebrovascular disease; PVD, peripheral vascular disease; BMI, body mass index; MDRD, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease; POS-S Renal, Palliative Care Outcome Scale symptom list for end-stage renal disease.
a
In ml/min per 1.73 m2.