Table 2. Selected Responses to End-of-Life Needs Survey for Adolescents.
| Question | Participants, No. (%) (N = 80) |
|---|---|
| How important would each of the following be to you if you were dealing with your own dying? | |
| Family and friends visiting me | |
| Important | 77 (96.2) |
| Not important | 2 (2.5) |
| Don’t know | 1 (1.3) |
| Being able to stay in my own home | |
| Important | 61 (76.2) |
| Not important | 18 (22.5) |
| Don’t know | 1 (1.3) |
| Honest answers from my doctor | |
| Important | 80 (100.0) |
| Not important | 0 |
| Don’t know | 0 |
| Comfort from church services or persons such as a minister, priest, imam, or rabbi | |
| Important | 52 (65.0) |
| Not important | 27 (33.8) |
| Don’t know | 1 (1.3) |
| Planning my own funeral | |
| Important | 43 (53.7) |
| Not important | 34 (42.5) |
| Don’t know | 3 (3.8) |
| Being able to complete an advance directive that would let loved ones know my wishes | |
| Important | 71 (88.7) |
| Not important | 4 (5.0) |
| Don’t know | 5 (6.3) |
| Fulfilling personal goals or pleasure | |
| Important | 77 (96.3) |
| Not important | 3 (3.8) |
| Don’t know | 0 |
| Reviewing my life history with my family | |
| Important | 57 (71.2) |
| Not important | 22 (27.5) |
| Don’t know | 1 (1.3) |
| Having health care professionals visit me at my home | |
| Important | 58 (72.5) |
| Not important | 21 (26.3) |
| Don’t know | 1 (1.3) |
| Understanding my treatment choices | |
| Important | 78 (97.5) |
| Not important | 0 |
| Don’t know | 2 (2.5) |
| How important are each of the following to you when you think about dying? | |
| Being physically comfortable | |
| Important | 73 (91.3) |
| Not important | 7 (8.8) |
| Don’t know | 0 |
| Being free from pain | |
| Important | 69 (86.3) |
| Not important | 10 (12.5) |
| Don’t know | 1 (1.3) |
| Saying everything I want to say to people in my family (n = 79)a | |
| Important | 77 (97.5) |
| Not important | 2 (2.5) |
| Don’t know | 0 |
| Being at peace spiritually | |
| Important | 74 (92.5) |
| Not important | 4 (5.0) |
| Don’t know | 2 (2.5) |
| Not being a burden to loved ones | |
| Important | 69 (86.3) |
| Not important | 8 (10.0) |
| Don’t know | 3 (3.8) |
| Knowing how to say goodbye | |
| Important | 71 (88.8) |
| Not important | 6 (7.5) |
| Don’t know | 3 (3.8) |
| Having a sense of my own worth or value | |
| Important | 72 (90.0) |
| Not important | 4 (5.0) |
| Don’t know | 4 (5.0) |
| Being off machines that extend life, such as life support | |
| Important | 48 (60.0) |
| Not important | 27 (33.8) |
| Don’t know | 5 (6.3) |
| Dying a natural death | |
| Important | 48 (60.0) |
| Not important | 28 (35.0) |
| Don’t know | 4 (5.0) |
a
Data were missing for 1 adolescent.