The Gerontologist
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pruchno, R. A.
Right arrow Articles by Levinsky, N. G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Pruchno, R. A.
Right arrow Articles by Levinsky, N. G.
The Gerontologist 45:812-819 (2005)
© 2005 The Gerontological Society of America

Spouse as Health Care Proxy for Dialysis Patients: Whose Preferences Matter?

Rachel A. Pruchno, PhD1, Edward P. Lemay, Jr., MS1, Lucy Feild, PhD, RN1 and Norman G. Levinsky, MD2

Correspondence: Address correspondence to Rachel A. Pruchno, PhD, Director of Research, Center for Aging, University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine, 42 E. Laurel Rd., Suite 2300, Stratford, NJ 08084. E-mail: pruchnra{at}umdnj.edu

Purpose: We examined the extent to which the substituted judgments made by spouses of patients with end-stage renal disease actually reflect patient preferences. Design and Methods: We used data from 291 couples to compare dialysis patients' preferences for continuing hemodialysis under a variety of hypothetical situations with both substituted judgment data from spouses and information about spouses' own preferences. Results: Substituted judgments were more highly related to spouses' preferences than to patients' preferences. Implications: Findings raise questions about the extent to which the moral principle of patient autonomy should guide decision making at the end of life.

Key Words: End of life • Autonomy • Decision making • End-stage renal disease • Substituted judgments • Proxy




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci.Home page
R. A. Pruchno, M. J. Rovine, F. Cartwright, and M. Wilson-Genderson
Stability and Change in Patient Preferences and Spouse Substituted Judgments Regarding Dialysis Continuation
J. Gerontol. B. Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci., March 1, 2008; 63(2): S81 - S91.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
All GSA journals Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Copyright © 2005 by The Gerontological Society of America.