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Publication
Awareness and Attitudes towards Advance Care Directives (ACDs): An Online Survey of Portuguese Adults
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Evidence shows that facilitated advance decisions can increase the number
of meaningful and valid Advance Care Directives (ACDs) and improve the quality of care when EndOf-Life (EOL) is near. Little is known about the awareness and attitudes of Portuguese adults towards
ACDs. The present study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and preferences of a sample of
Portuguese adults regarding EOL care decisions and ACDs. (2) Methods: A total of 1024 adults
were assessed with an online cross-sectional survey collecting information on sociodemographic
factors, knowledge, attitudes and preferences regarding advance decisions and EOL care. (3) Results:
Participants had a mean age of 40.28 ± 11.41 years. Most were female and had a professional
background related to healthcare. While 76.37% of participants had heard of ACDs, only a small
percentage (2.34%) had actually ever made an ACD. Knowledge levels were weakly correlated with
attitudes regarding ACDs (r = −0.344; p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: Participants lacked a comprehensive
understanding about ACDs, but revealed positive attitudes towards their use and usefulness. Further
research can inform efforts to improve ACD engagement in this population. The discussion about
ACDs should be part of health promotion education with a focus on planning for a comfortable and
peaceful death
Description
Keywords
Advance care directives Attitudes Knowledge Cross-sectional study Portugal
Citation
Laranjeira, C.; Dixe, M.d.A.; Gueifão, L.; Caetano, L.; Passadouro, R.; Querido, A. Awareness and Attitudes towards Advance Care Directives (ACDs): An Online Survey of Portuguese Adults. Healthcare 2021, 9, 648. https://doi.org/10.3390/ healthcare9060648
Publisher
MDPI