Research on the influencing factors of decision-making preferences for the rescue treatment of elderly patients with chronic diseases.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the preferences of elderly patients with chronic diseases in rescue treatment decisions and explore the factors that influence their preferences.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

A survey was conducted on 838 hospitalized elderly patients with chronic diseases via general information questionnaires, generalized anxiety disorder scales, simplified elderly depression scales, death attitude scales, and traditional Chinese cultural belief scales.

RESULTS

In this study, elderly patients with chronic diseases preferred active rescue, accounting for 61.0%, followed by those who preferred abandoned rescue, accounting for 26.6%, and those who preferred maintenance treatment, accounting for only 12.4%. Fear and anxiety of death, death avoidance, approach-oriented acceptance, traditional cultural beliefs, the ACCI, age, educational level, and religious beliefs are the influencing factors of elderly chronic disease patients' preference for rescue treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

More than half of elderly patients with chronic diseases prefer active rescue, and the influencing factors of rescue treatment decision-making preferences are complex. In clinical practice, healthcare professionals should provide personalized rescue treatment decision-making assistance to patients on the basis of various factors, such as their attitudes toward death, age, education level, religious and cultural beliefs, and complications.