Physical functioning, depression, and preferences for treatment at the end of life: the Johns Hopkins Precursors Study

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the relationship between worsening physical function and depression and preferences for life-sustaining treatment.

Design: Mailed survey of older physicians.

Setting: Longitudinal cohort study of medical students in the graduating classes from 1948 to 1964 at Johns Hopkins University.

Participants: Physicians who completed the life-sustaining treatment questionnaire in 1998 and provided information about health status in 1992 and 1998 (n=645, 83% of respondents to the 1998 questionnaire; mean age 68).

Measurements: Preferences for life-sustaining treatment, assessed using a checklist questionnaire in response to a standard vignette.

Results: Of 645 physicians, 11% experienced clinically significant decline in physical functioning, and 18% experienced worsening depression over the 6-year period. Physicians with clinically significant functional decline were more likely (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.18-3.88) to prefer high-burden life-sustaining treatment. Worsening depression substantially modified the association between declining functioning and treatment preferences. Physicians with declining functioning and worsening depression were more likely (AOR=5.33, 95% CI=1.60-17.8) to prefer high-burden treatment than respondents without declining function or worsening depression.

Conclusion: This study calls attention to the need for clinical reassessment of preferences for potentially life-sustaining treatment when health has declined to prevent underestimating the preferences of older patients.