Background: Most dying patients are treated by physicians in community practice, yet studies of terminal care rarely include these physicians.
Objective: To examine the frequency of life-sustaining treatment use and describe what factors influence physicians' treatment decisions in community-based practices.
Methods: Family members and treating physicians for decedents 65 years and older who died of cancer, congestive heart failure, chronic lung disease, cirrhosis, or stroke completed interviews about end-of-life care in community settings.
Results: Eighty percent of eligible family and 68.8% of eligible physicians participated (N = 165). Most physicians were trained in primary care and 85.4% were primary care physicians for the decedents. Physicians typically knew the decedent a year or more (68.9%), and 93.3% treated them for at least 1 month before death. In their last month of life, 2.4% of decedents received cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 5.5% received ventilatory support, and 34.1% received hospice care. Family recalled a discussion of treatment options in 78.2% of deaths. Most discussions (72.1%) took place a month or more before death. Place of death, cancer, and having a living will were independent predictors of less aggressive treatment before death. Physicians believed that advanced planning and good relationships were the major determinants of good decision making.
Conclusions: Community physicians use few life-sustaining treatments for dying patients. Treatment decisions are made in the context of long-term primary care relationships, and living wills influence treatment decisions. The choice to remain in community settings with a familiar physician may influence the dying experience.