Advance Care Planning Impact on the Consistency of Older Adults With Lung Cancer and Their Potential Surrogates Regarding Life-Sustaining Treatment Preferences

Overview

Background: Globally and nationally, malignant tumors persist as the leading cause of high incidence and mortality rates. In Taiwan, cancer tops the list of causes of death, with the elderly being predominantly affected, especially by lung cancer, which is the most prevalent type with the highest mortality and incidence rates in the nation. The Patient Autonomy Rights Act, implemented by the government in 2019, is designed to promote advance medical care consultation in medical institutions, respecting patient's autonomous decisions. In Chinese culture, medical decisions are typically family-oriented rather than individualistic, leading the elderly to frequently rely on their relatives'choices. This cultural practice may prevent meaningful conversations between potential agents and the elderly, causing misunderstandings of the elderly's preferences and affecting the consistency of medical decisions. Presently, interventions like board games for Advance Care Planning (ACP) are not well received, highlighting the need for more captivating content in intervention strategies.

Conditions