Table 3 Questions asked of participants at the recruitment and post-intervention stages, and main results
Contemplation (of an ACP event) | Between group difference (logistic regression): p = .048 | ||
Question asked of all participants: | |||
At recruitment: “Before today, have you ever thought about the possibility of having an accident or a serious illness that would cause you to lose your capacity for judgment? What kind of situation [accident, serious illness] did you think of?” | |||
Post-intervention: “Since the last time we met, have you thought about the possibility of having an accident or a serious illness that would cause you to lose your capacity for judgment? What kind of situation [accident, serious illness] did you think of?” | |||
Responses | Treatment | Control | Total Data |
Participants who, at the time of recruitment, reported having contemplated an ACP event | 61% (n = 83/136) | 63% (n = 111/176) | 62% (n = 194/312) |
Participants who reported having contemplated an ACP event during the 3–4 weeks after inclusion | 60% (n = 81/136) | 49% (n = 87/176) | 54% (n = 168/312) |
Decision (about contemplated event) | Between group difference (logistic regression): p > .05 | ||
Question asked of participants who reported having contemplated an ACP event in the previous question: | |||
At recruitment & Post-intervention: “Do you have any idea and can you tell me how you would like to be cared for in such situations?” < referring to the situations described by the patient in the previous question > | |||
Responses | Treatment | Control | Total Data |
At recruitment: participants who were able to express a decision about how they would like to be treated related to the ACP event(s) considered in the previous question | 46% (n = 63/136) | 40% (n = 70/176) | 43% (n = 133/312) |
Post-intervention: participants who have expressed (either in the first or in the second questionnaire) a decision about how they would like to be treated related to the ACP event(s) | 55% (n = 75/136) | 48% (n = 84/176) | 51% (n = 159/312) |
Pre-post increase in participants’ expressed decision about how they would like to be treated related to the ACP event | 9% (n = 12/136) | 8% (n = 14/176) | 8% (n = 26/312) |
Discussion (about decision) | Between group difference (logistic regression): p = .047 | ||
Question asked of participants who reported having taken a decision about an ACP event in the previous question: | |||
At recruitment & Post-intervention: “Have you talked about your life decisions or priorities < referring to the previously discussed event > with someone close to you? And with your professional caregivers?” | |||
Responses | Treatment | Control | Total Data |
At recruitment: participants who reported having discussed their decision related to the ACP event(s) considered in the previous question with relatives or HCP | 35% (n = 48/135*) | 30% (n = 53/175) | 32% (n = 101/311) |
Post-intervention: participants who reported having discussed (either in the first or in the second questionnaire) their decision related to the ACP event(s) considered in the previous question with relatives or HCP | 49% (n = 67/136) | 39% (n = 68/175) | 43% (n = 135/312) |
Pre-post increase of participants’ reported discussion about how they would like to be treated related to the ACP event | 14% (n = 19/135*) | 9% (n = 15/175) | 11% (n = 34/311) |
Writing (of AD) | Between group difference (logistic regression): p = .030 | ||
Question asked of all participants: | |||
At recruitment & Post-intervention: “Have you already written your Advance Directives?” | |||
Responses | Treatment | Control | Total Data |
At recruitment: participants who reported having written their AD | 2% (n = 3/136) | 7% (n = 12/176) | 5% (n = 15/312) |
Post-intervention: participants who reported having written their AD | 7% (n = 9/136) | 6% (n = 10/176) | 6% (n = 19/312) |
Pre-post increase in reported written AD | 4% (n = 6/136) | -1% (n = -2/176) | 1% (n = 4/312) |
At recruitment: participants who reported having started to write their AD but not yet finished | 0% (n = 0/136) | 0% (n = 0/176) | 0% (n = 0/312) |
Post-intervention: participants who reported having started to write their AD but not yet finished | 4% (n = 6/136) | 1% (n = 2/176) | 2% (n = 6/312) |