Are hospital clinicians aware of legislation surrounding provision of palliative care?

118 Background: Many deaths require medical treatment to be withheld or withdrawn. Patients or their substitute decision makers may disagree with these decisions, and sometimes refuse the right to appropriate palliative care. An awareness of legal frameworks surrounding end of life decisions is vital to navigate through these conflicts. Without this, patients suffer unnecessarily.

METHODS: 542 hospital doctors and nurses were recruited from a large metropolitan public tertiary teaching hospital network involving 5 campuses and 2 medical schools. A questionnaire examined their regarding legislation surrounding end of life care, both in adults with and without capacity.

RESULTS: Approximately a quarter of respondents did not believe that the "Not for Resuscitation Form" is legally a medical decision. Most doctors (68%), but not nurses, believed competent patients cannot demand futile treatment. Most clinicians (79% doctors and 85% nurses) erroneously believe that competent patients can refuse appropriate palliative care. There was significant confusion regarding the roles of substitute decision makers. Most clinicians could not find the advance directive. Groups with most correct answers were doctors, had 5-10 years experience, and were in palliative care and critical care specialties.

CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms poor knowledge regarding legislation surrounding provision of palliative care. An unusually high proportion believed patients could refuse appropriate palliative care. Most clinicians could not locate advance directives. Most nurses believed patients could legally demand futile treatment. Both junior and senior staff had comparably poor knowledge in this area.