WHICH ADVANCE DIRECTIVE DO PATIENTS PREFER

This study examined patient acceptance of two different advance direct ives. Outpatients completed the two directives and a 12-item acceptabi lity questionnaire for each, and then stated their directive preferenc es. Of 128 patients enrolled, 97 (76%) responded. Overall, 47% of the respondents were satisfied with the Let Me Decide directive and 53% wi th the Medical Directive (NS). Thirty-nine percent preferred the Let M e Decide directive, 37% preferred the Medical Directive, and 25% had n o preference or were uncertain which they preferred. Although there wa s no difference in patient acceptance between the directives, 76% of t he patients preferred one or the other. Therefore, different people li ke different directives,and a variety of directives should be availabl e for patients to review before they complete one.