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Table 2 Questions that give insight into the decision-making process. Responses from nursing homes and hospital compared

From: Involvement in decisions about intravenous treatment for nursing home patients: nursing homes versus hospital wards

Questions

 

Answers

Nursing homes n = 215(%)

Hospitals n = 84(%)

P-value or Fisher’s exact test*

Was the patient’s capacity to consent assessed before commencing treatment?

 

Yes

197(92)

56(67)

p < 0.001

No

12(6)

5(6)

I don’t know

6(3)

23(27)

If yes, did the patient have the capacity to consent?

 

Yes

124(63)

27(48)

p < 0.05

No

73(37)

29(52)

Was the treatment discussed with the patient before commencement?

Capacity to consent n = 124 in nursing home n = 27 in hospital

Yes

112(90)

14(52)

Exact< 0.001

No

9(7)

4(15)

I don’t know

3(2)

9(33)

Not capacity to consent n = 73 in nursing home n = 29 in hospital

Yes

14(19)

0(0)

Exact< 0.01

No

59(81)

28(97)

I don’t know

0(0)

1(3)

Was the treatment discussed with the next of kin before commencement?

Capacity to consent

Yes

59(48)

8(30)

Exact< 0.01

No

58(47)

10(37)

I don’t know

7(6)

9(33)

Not capacity to consent

Yes

47(64)

3(10)

Exact< 0.001

No

22(30)

12(41)

I don’t know

4(6)

14(48)

Was the treatment discussed with health personnel who knew the patient?

Capacity to consent

Yes

115(93)

8(30)

Exact< 0.001

No

8(7)

6(22)

I don’t know

1(1)

13(48)

Not capacity to consent

Yes

62(85)

4(14)

Exact< 0.001

No

7(10)

11(38)

I don’t know

4(6)

14(48)

Advance care planning done in the past?a

 

Yes

108(50)

14(17)

p < 0.001

No

71(33)

12(14)

I don’t know

36(17)

58(69)

  1. *Less than 5 patients counted in one or more cells
  2. aFull question: Have there previously been carried out conversations with the patient or next of kin regarding the patient’s wishes and values relating to life-prolonging treatment and what to do if the patient suddenly gets much worse?