Abstract
This study aimed to explore the current status of advance directives (ADs) and preferences for care near the end of life (PCEOL) of patients with chronic diseases in South Korea. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. A total of 303 participants were recruited by convenience sampling from 3 hospitals in Korea. All participants completed a questionnaire on perception of ADs and the PCEOL-K (Lee and Kim. Korean J Med Ethics. 2009;12(1):29-42), the Korean version of a tool originally developed by Gauthier and Froman (Res Nurs Health. 2001;24(4):298-306). Most participants reported that they had no living wills (96.4%) and had not heard of ADs (91.4%). They preferred that their spouse (41.6%) or their son/daughter (27.2%) make health care decisions when they could no longer make those decisions. There were relatively positive preferences toward end of life pain control, family input in decision making, decision making by health care providers, and spirituality. There was a negative preference for the autonomous physiological decision-making dimension of the PCEOL-K. The PCEOL-K scores displayed statistically significant differences depending on marital status, age, religion, and perceived stage of treatment. Based on the study findings, it appears that wide promotion and awareness about ADs may assist Korean patients with chronic diseases to make informed decisions regarding their end of life care.