Investigation on the current status of recognition and acceptance of living will in elderly inpatients in Shanxi Province

Objective To analyze related factors for whether or not to make the living will by investigating the current status of recognition and acceptance of living will among elderly inpatients in Shanxi Province, in order to provide the evidence for promoting the living will in elderly hospitalized patients in Shanxi Province. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted on elderly inpatients in Shanxi Province from January 2017 to December 2017, including general information(age, gender, ethnicity, religious belief, dwelling place, education and profession, children, spouse), awareness of living wills and willingness to sign documents of "My Five Wishes" . The chi-square test and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the related factors for elderly inpatients' willingness to sign living will documents Results The 411 elderly inpatients in Shanxi Province had a low level of cognition of living will(146 cases, 35.5%). In general socio-demographic characteristics, only education level and profession were related to the cognition of living will(χ2=12.093 and 11.906, P=0.001 and 0.008). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that as compared with inpatients aged 60-69 years, inpatients aged 70-79 years(OR=0.592, 95%CI: 0.360~0.974, P=0.039)and 80-89 years(OR=0.408, 95%CI: 0.238~0.701, P=0.001)held a significantly negative attitude towards signing the living will documents.According to dwelling place, as compared with countryside, urban elderly inpatients were more willing to sign living will documents in advance(OR=2.293, 95%CI: 1.335~3.940, P=0.003). At the comparison of other occupations with medical workers, teachers(P=0.429), civil servants(P=0.068), only medical workers(OR=3.156, 95%CI: 1.419-7.020, P=0.005)were more willing to sign living will documents in advance.As comparing elderly inpatients with children, the childless elderly inpatients were more willing to sign living will documents in advance(OR=3.156, 95%CI: 1.287~7.740, P=0.012). Conclusions Elderly inpatients in Shanxi Province have a low level of cognition of living will and a poor acceptance of signing the document of "my five wishes" in advance.In order to benefit the public, we need to increase the promotion and popularization of signing documents of living will in our province. Key words: Living will; Informed consent; Medical autonomy