A comparison of preferences of elderly patients for end-of-life period and their relatives' perceptions in Thailand

End-of-life Care Preferences among Cancer Patients in Southern Thailand: A University Hospital-based Cross-Sectional Survey

“…However, since 'disclosing the full truth regarding their illnesses to family members' was a signi cant preference, it could be said that they were also likely to involve their family in the decision-making process related to EoL care. This nding is consistent with those of a prior study on Northern Thai patients with a terminal illness; they desired that both physicians and relatives be involved in deciding the EoL care they received [13]. Furthermore, this nding supports the report of a former study that Asian patients were more likely to have their family involved in medical decision-making rather than exercising full autonomy or decide only by themselves like most American and European patients do [1,15,16].…”

“…Regarding passing away, a good death is one that is free from avoidable suffering, for the patient, their relatives, and caregivers alike; in general accord with the patient's and family's wishes; and reasonably consistent with clinical, cultural, and ethical standards [10,22]. Prior studies have identi ed some factors that in uence the passing away process; they are: the location of patient domicile, previous occupation, educational level, family income, family size, and dissatisfaction with life [13,23]. Moreover, it is known that most elderly Thai patients prefer dying at home [13].…”

“…The scores of all the 15 questions ranged from 1 to 5 (strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree, and neither agree nor disagree). The responses of 'strongly agree' and 'agree' were classi ed as indicating approval for the intervention [13]. Furthermore, the participants were asked to rate the 3 most important components among the 15 items.…”

“…However, the associated factors that lead to differences in EoL care preferences are age, religion, occupation, education, economic status, being married, having a family or caregiver, current serious illness, history of hospitalization, being a caregiver for a seriously ill patient, having the experience of a closed one dying, and self-satisfactory [11,13]. As reported previously, there are some different aspects regarding EoL care preferences between Asian and Western countries.…”

“…In Thailand, a study conducted among Thai elderly patients from the central and northeast regions in 2017 revealed that their 3 most important EoL care preferences were receiving the full truth about their illness, passing away at home and having loved ones around at the time of death, and receiving relief from uncomfortable symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath [13]. However, to our knowledge, no study on EoL care preferences has been conducted in the Southern Region of Thailand over the past decade.…”