Table 2.
Medical Decision-making Preferences, by Patient’s MCI Status
| Variable | Patient responses | Surrogate responses* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient MCI status | Patient MCI status | |||||
| NC (n=61) | MCI (n=66) | P | NC (n=61) | MCI (n=66) | P | |
| LSPQ score† | ||||||
| Number of rejected treatments: median (IQR) | 6.0 (1.0, 13.0) | 4.5 (0.0, 13.0) | 0.55 | 0.0 (0.0, 5.0) | 1.0 (0.0, 7.0) | 0.12 |
| Zero treatments rejected: no. (%) | 13 (21.3) | 21 (31.8) | 0.18 | 38 (62.3) | 32 (48.5) | 0.12 |
| Control Preferences Scale: no. (%) | 0.76 | 0.94 | ||||
| I make all medical decisions | 5 (8.2) | 6 (9.1) | 4 (6.6) | 4 (6.1) | ||
| I make final medical decisions | 36 (59.0) | 36 (54.5) | 38 (62.3) | 37 (56.1) | ||
| My doctor and I make joint medical decisions | 18 (29.5) | 18 (27.3) | 17 (27.9) | 22 (33.3) | ||
| My doctor makes final medical decisions | 2 (3.3) | 4 (6.1) | 1 (1.6) | 2 (3.0) | ||
| My doctor makes all medical decisions | 0 (0.0) | 2 (3.0) | 1 (1.6) | 1 (1.5) | ||
| Desired involvement in treatment decisions | ||||||
| Scenario: acute MI: no. (%)‡ | ||||||
| Coronary angioplasty | 59 (96.7) | 63 (95.5) | 0.99 | 56 (91.8) | 63 (95.5) | 0.48 |
| Coronary artery bypass graft surgery | 60 (98.4) | 64 (97.0) | 0.99 | 56 (91.8) | 64 (97.0) | 0.26 |
| Cardiac rehabilitation | 60 (98.4) | 62 (93.9) | 0.37 | 59 (96.7) | 65 (98.5) | 0.61 |
| Cholesterol medication | 60 (98.4) | 63 (95.5) | 0.62 | 54 (88.5) | 63 (95.5) | 0.19 |
| Scenario: stroke: no. (%)‡ | ||||||
| Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator | 57 (93.4) | 61 (92.4) | 0.99 | 58 (95.1) | 60 (90.9) | 0.49 |
| Carotid endarterectomy | 58 (95.1) | 62 (93.9) | 0.99 | 58 (95.1) | 61 (92.4) | 0.72 |
| Inpatient stroke rehabilitation | 61 (100.0) | 64 (97.0) | 0.50 | 59 (96.7) | 62 (93.9) | 0.37 |
| Anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation | 59 (96.7) | 64 (97.0) | 0.99 | 56 (91.8) | 62 (93.9) | 0.99 |
P values were obtained using Mood’s median tests, for continuous variables, and Fisher’s exact tests, for categorical variables. Abbreviations: MCI, mild cognitive impairment; NC, normal cognition; LSPQ, Life-Support Preferences-Predictions Questionnaire; IQR, inter quartile range
*All surrogate responses are provided in reference to the patient’s treatment, with the exception of control preferences
†Life-Support Preferences-Predictions Questionnaire scores are counts of subject responses expressing no desire for life-sustaining treatment and range 0 to 24. Higher scores indicate a lower desire for treatment. Zero treatments rejected means the participant would want all life-sustaining treatments in all health scenarios
‡Representing participants who prefer to be involved in treatment decisions, compared with those who do not