Table 2.
Content of Hospital Policies for Hospitals That Permit the End-of-Life Option (N = 106 Hospitals and 35 Policies)
| Hospitals, n (%) | Policies, n (%) | Discharge,a% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-administration in facility | |||
| Permitted | 7 (7) | 4 (11) | 3 |
| Not permitted | 94 (89) | 27 (77) | 36 |
| Not addressed | 5 (5) | 4 (11) | 2 |
| Physician presence at ingestion | |||
| Permitted | 48 (45) | 11 (31) | 21 |
| Not permitted | 8 (8) | 5 (14) | 5 |
| Not addressed | 50 (47) | 19 (55) | 16 |
| Helps patients find alternate physician if attending opts out | |||
| Yes | 92 (87) | 26 (74) | 36 |
| No | 3 (3) | 3 (9) | 2 |
| Not addressed | 11 (10) | 6 (17) | 4 |
| Provides counseling for staff if needed | |||
| Yes | 69 (65) | 23 (66) | 30 |
| No | 37 (35) | 12 (34) | 12 |
| Requires additional safeguards | |||
| Yes | 40 (38) | 14 (40) | 13 |
| No | 66 (62) | 21 (60) | 29 |
| Collecting data on requests | |||
| Yes | 35 (33) | 13 (37) | 19 |
| No | 71 (67) | 22 (63) | 23 |
Includes both formal and informal policies.
a
Forty-two percent of hospital discharges, out of a total of 3,100,970 discharges in California in 2016, were from hospitals that permit the EOLOA. The total percentage of discharges between Tables 2 and 3 does not add to 100% because 10% of hospital discharges from hospitals that did not respond to the survey.
EOLOA, End of Life Option Act.