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Hewitt J, Alsaba N, May K, Kang E, Cartwright C, Willmott L, White B, Marshall AP. End-of-life decision-making in the emergency department and intensive care unit: Health professionals' perspectives on and knowledge of the law in Queensland. Emerg Med Australas 2024. [PMID: 38361400 DOI: 10.1111/1742-6723.14377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate ED and intensive care unit healthcare professionals' perspectives and knowledge of the law that underpins end-of-life decision-making in Queensland, Australia. METHODS An online survey with questions about perspectives, perceived, and actual, knowledge of the law was distributed by the professional organisations of medical practitioners, nurses and social workers who work in Queensland EDs and intensive care units. RESULTS The survey responses of 126 healthcare professionals were included in the final analysis. Most respondents agreed that the law was relevant to end-of-life decision-making, but that clinician and family consensus mattered more than following the law. Generally, doctors' legal knowledge was higher than nurses'; however, there were significant gaps in the knowledge of all respondents about the operation of advance health directives in Queensland. CONCLUSIONS The legal framework that supports end-of-life decision-making for adults who lack decision-making capacity has been in place for more than two decades. Despite frequently being involved in making or enacting these decisions, gaps in the legal knowledge of healthcare professionals who work in EDs and intensive care units in Queensland are evident. Further research to better understand how to improve knowledge and application of the law is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Hewitt
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Law Futures Centre, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nemat Alsaba
- Emergency Department, Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Health Science and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia
| | - Katya May
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Evelyn Kang
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Colleen Cartwright
- Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research), Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lindy Willmott
- Faculty of Business and Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ben White
- Faculty of Business and Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Future Fellow, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrea P Marshall
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
- Nursing Education and Research Unit, Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, Australia
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Sullivan KA, Purser K, Graham K, Parkinson L. Public awareness of legal decision-making capacity and planning instruments in dementia: implications for health care practitioners. Psychiatr Psychol Law 2022; 30:565-578. [PMID: 37484509 PMCID: PMC10360997 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2022.2060364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The protection of a person facing difficulties with legal decision-making can be challenging; however, estate planning documents (EPDs) can offer safeguards. Little is known about the community awareness of EPDs and their perceived importance, including for people with dementia. Two-hundred and thirty adults read a mild dementia vignette, proposed a diagnosis for the vignette character (VC), and rated the VC's legal decision-making capacity (DMC). The effect on ratings about DMC under different conditions was explored (e.g., variation of VC characteristics and the decision). Awareness, and the personal importance, of EPDs were assessed. DMC was affected by the variations in the VC's age, diagnosis, and the decision, as high- or low-stakes, but not VC sex. Awareness of EPDs was low; however, planning importance was increased for dementia. Although the public understand that dementia affects DMC, they require further information about EPDs to validly enact them, thereby reducing potential vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A. Sullivan
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kelly Purser
- Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Law, Faculty of Business and Law, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Karen Graham
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lauren Parkinson
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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