More Than Half of Americans Convey Their Preferences Regarding End-of-Life Care, Thomson Reuters Survey Shows

News provided by

Aug 05, 2010, 03:20 ET

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- A Thomson Reuters survey of more than 3,000 U.S. households found that 57 percent of Americans had made their end-of-life care choices known. Nearly three-quarters of people over 65 and about a third of individuals under 35 had voiced their wishes.

Among those respondents who conveyed their end-of-life preferences, 87 percent chose informal communication with family, friends, or loved ones to express their wishes. Sixty percent had created a living will, and 50 percent chose to employ a healthcare power of attorney.

People over 65 were more likely to chose a living will or healthcare power of attorney, while younger adults tended to opt for informal communication. Those who took formal steps over informal communication -- particularly those in higher income brackets -- received legal assistance preparing their document.

The survey found that about 10 percent of participants had made a medical decision for another person in the last 12 months, and in over half of those cases a living will or a medical directive was available. Over half of the decision makers had received counseling from a healthcare professional or support group. Counseling was rated helpful by 80 percent of those receiving it.

The survey, based on responses from 3,013 people interviewed from June 1 to 13, is part of the Thomson Reuters PULSE™ Healthcare Survey. The margin of error is 1.8.

Each year, the Thomson Reuters PULSE™ Healthcare Survey collects information about health-related behavior and attitudes from more than 100,000 U.S. households. This nationally representative telephone survey is conducted in 11 waves (each a standalone market research study) conducted sequentially throughout the year. Many healthcare topics are covered, including use of medical services, health status, insurance coverage, lifestyle, and current issues. The survey is self-funded.

For a report summarizing the end-of-life survey results, click here: http://www.factsforhealthcare.com/pressroom/NPR_report_EndofLifeCare0710.pdf

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

SOURCE Thomson Reuters