Table 6 List of factors, cumulative variance, comprising questions and the sum of squared loadings

Respecting patients’ wishes (13.9%)

Patients’ interests should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

Patients’ autonomy should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

AD should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

Good medical practice should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

Legal regulations should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

Families’ wishes should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

How often are you acquainted with patients’ and families’ wishes?

Respecting religious and cultural principles (22.4%)

Religious and cultural principles expressed by the patient or family should be respected

Religious principles should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

Do you think AD are helpful in the decision-making process?

Religious and cultural principles expressed by the physician should be respected

Paramedical aspects of decision-making (30.5%)

Need for beds in the ICU should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

Treatment costs should be respected in LST limitation decision-making

Is health care resource allocation important in decision-making?

Decision-making process including nurses (36%)

LST limitation decision-making process includes ICU physicians and nurses

Common withdrawal of therapies (12.4%)

Are decisions to withdraw antibiotics made in your ICU?

Are decisions to withdraw inotropes made in your ICU?

Are decisions to withhold LST made in your ICU?

Are DNACPR decisions made in your ICU?

Uncommon withdrawal of therapies (21.3%)

Are decisions to withdraw endotracheal tube made in your ICU?

Are decisions to withdraw mechanical ventilation made in your ICU?

Are decisions to withdraw hydration made in your ICU?

Do you agree that hydration should be withdrawn in end-of-life patients?

Disagreement in decision-making (28.7%)

How often is agreement between physicians not achieved?

How often is agreement between physicians and family/legal guardians not achieved?

Have you ever disagreed with the method of LST limitation?

Have you ever refused to be a part of decision-making discussion or implementation?

Do you think there is a difference between withholding and withdrawing LST from an ethical standpoint?

Liberal attitudes towards LST limitation (35%)

Do you think that withholding and withdrawing LST in end-of-life patients is ethically acceptable?

Do you think DNACPR decisions in end-of-life patients are ethically acceptable?

Do you respect DNACPR decisions?

Do you think LST limitation is the same from an ethical standpoint in the adult patients who are brain dead, terminally ill or in a vegetative state?