A majority of hospice healthcare providers have not documented their end-of-life wishes in an advance directive, according to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine.
For the study, researchers examined survey responses from nearly 900 healthcare providers at Trustbridge, nonprofit hospice in Boca Raton, Fla. Survey participants included employees and volunteers.
The study found 44 percent of respondents had completed an advance directive. Researchers said completion rates were affected by ethnicity, age, relationship status and perceived knowledge. However, they noted the amount of time workers had been in direct patient care was not a significant contributing factor.
Respondents cited a number of reasons for not completing an advance directive, including "procrastination, fear of the subject, and costs," according to the study.
Less than half of respondents (43 percent) who hadn't completed advance directives said after the survey they would do so.
"The majority of hospice healthcare providers have not completed an advance directive. These results are very similar to those for other healthcare providers treating patients with terminal diseases, specifically oncologists," the study's authors concluded. "Because, at completion, 43 percent said that they would now complete an advance directive, such a survey of healthcare providers may help increase completion rates."