Skip to main content

Main menu

  • HOME
  • ARTICLES
    • Current Issue
    • Ahead of Print
    • Archives
    • Abstracts In Press
    • Special Issue Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • INFO FOR
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Call For Papers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • SUBMIT
    • Manuscript
    • Peer Review
  • ABOUT
    • The JABFM
    • The Editing Fellowship
    • Editorial Board
    • Indexing
    • Editors' Blog
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • Other Publications
    • abfm

User menu

Search

  • Advanced search
American Board of Family Medicine
  • Other Publications
    • abfm
American Board of Family Medicine

American Board of Family Medicine

Advanced Search

  • HOME
  • ARTICLES
    • Current Issue
    • Ahead of Print
    • Archives
    • Abstracts In Press
    • Special Issue Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • INFO FOR
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Call For Papers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • SUBMIT
    • Manuscript
    • Peer Review
  • ABOUT
    • The JABFM
    • The Editing Fellowship
    • Editorial Board
    • Indexing
    • Editors' Blog
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • JABFM on Bluesky
  • JABFM On Facebook
  • JABFM On Twitter
  • JABFM On YouTube
Research ArticleOriginal Article

Community Attitudes And Knowledge About Advance Care Directives

Nancy C. Elder, F. David Schneider, Steven C. Zweig, Philip G. Peters and John W. Ely
The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice November 1992, 5 (6) 565-572; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.5.6.565
Nancy C. Elder
From the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine, and the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. Address reprint requests to Nancy C. Elder, M.D., M.S.P.H., Department of Family and Community Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201.
M.D., M.S.P.H.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
F. David Schneider
From the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine, and the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. Address reprint requests to Nancy C. Elder, M.D., M.S.P.H., Department of Family and Community Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201.
M.D., M.S.P.H.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Steven C. Zweig
From the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine, and the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. Address reprint requests to Nancy C. Elder, M.D., M.S.P.H., Department of Family and Community Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201.
M.D., M.S.P.H.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Philip G. Peters Jr.
From the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine, and the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. Address reprint requests to Nancy C. Elder, M.D., M.S.P.H., Department of Family and Community Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201.
J.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
John W. Ely
From the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine, and the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. Address reprint requests to Nancy C. Elder, M.D., M.S.P.H., Department of Family and Community Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201.
M.D., M.S.P.H.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Background: Patients and their physicians are increasingly being encouraged to discuss end-of-life decisions. The purpose of this study was to enhance understanding of the public’s attitudes and knowledge about medical decision making and advance care directives.

Methods: Eight focus groups of community members discussed their understanding of and attitudes about advance care directives. Transcripts of these discussions were analyzed using coding categories created from the transcripts.

Results: Eighty-three people attended the focus groups. Most discussions of advance care directives involved family members in the setting of family or personal illness. Elderly persons commonly confused wills with living wills. Most who had given advance directives did so either to make others follow their wishes or to ease family burdens. Among the great variety of reasons for not using advance directives was a perceived lack of personal relevance, as well as conceptual, moral, and practical difficulties. Participants were divided about whether it was appropriate for physicians to initiate discussions about life-sustaining care with their patients. We discerned three themes affecting individuals’ opinions about personal decision making about advance directives: (1) trust in family and the medical system, (2) need for control, and (3) knowledge about advance directives.

Conclusions: Although living wills are advocated by many authorities, and many of our participants endorsed their use, our participants also cited numerous cautions and impediments to their use. As the role of advance care directives changes, physicians will need to be aware of their patients’ perceptions, as well as the leplities of these documents.

PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of the American Board of Family     Practice: 5 (6)
The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
Vol. 5, Issue 6
1 Nov 1992
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Back Matter (PDF)
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Board of Family Medicine.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Community Attitudes And Knowledge About Advance Care Directives
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Board of Family Medicine
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Board of Family Medicine web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
4 + 3 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
Community Attitudes And Knowledge About Advance Care Directives
Nancy C. Elder, F. David Schneider, Steven C. Zweig, Philip G. Peters, John W. Ely
The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice Nov 1992, 5 (6) 565-572; DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.5.6.565

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Community Attitudes And Knowledge About Advance Care Directives
Nancy C. Elder, F. David Schneider, Steven C. Zweig, Philip G. Peters, John W. Ely
The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice Nov 1992, 5 (6) 565-572; DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.5.6.565
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Screening for Bipolar Disorder in Patients Treated for Depression in a Family Medicine Clinic
  • Screening for Dementia: Family Caregiver Questionnaires Reliably Predict Dementia
  • Help-Seeking for Insomnia among Adult Patients in Primary Care
Show more Original Articles

Similar Articles

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues

Authors & Reviewers

  • Info For Authors
  • Info For Reviewers
  • Submit A Manuscript/Review

Other Services

  • Get Email Alerts
  • Classifieds
  • Reprints and Permissions

Other Resources

  • Forms
  • Contact Us
  • ABFM News

© 2025 American Board of Family Medicine

Powered by HighWire