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. 2010 Apr 30;6(2):188-91.
doi: 10.5114/aoms.2010.13892.

Prevalence of use of advance directives, health care proxy, legal guardian, and living will in 512 patients hospitalized in a cardiac care unit/intensive care unit in 2 community hospitals

Anil Kumar  1 , Wilbert S Aronow, Margelusa Alexa, Ritu Gothwal, Stephen Jesmajian, Bharat Bhushan, Praveen Gaba, James Catevenis
Affiliations

Prevalence of use of advance directives, health care proxy, legal guardian, and living will in 512 patients hospitalized in a cardiac care unit/intensive care unit in 2 community hospitals

Anil Kumar et al. Arch Med Sci. .

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of use of any advance directives was 26% in 112 patients hospitalized in a cardiac care unit (CCU)/intensive care unit (ICU) in an academic medical center.

Material and methods: We investigated in 2 community hospitals the prevalence of use of advance directives (AD), health care proxy (HCP), legal guardian (LG), and living will (LW) in 512 patients hospitalized in a CCU/ ICU approached for AD and HCP.

Results: The use of AD was 22%, of HCP was 19%, of LG was 16%, and of LW was 5%.

Conclusions: The use of AD was 22%, of HCP was 19%, of LG was 16%, and of LW was 5% in patients hospitalized in a CCU/ICU. Educational programs on use of AD and of HCP need to be part of cardiovascular training programs and of cardiovascular continuing medical education.

Keywords: advance directives; health care proxy.

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