• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.140-146
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• 2008

Purpose: Sooner of later, end-of-life care decision-making will unfold and be settled during the professional lives of medical students. However, there is prevalent ambiguity and uncertainty between the palliative treatment and euthanasia. We conducted this survey to investigate attitudes of medical students towards end-of-life making decisions, and to find out which factors primarily influenced the attitudes. Methods: A study was conducted among medical students at one university, the Republic of Korea. A written questionnaire was sent to all the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year medical students. It presented 5 statements on end-of-life decision-making. Students were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement. Results: The response rate was 74.4%, and 267 questionnaires were analyzed. Percentages of agreement with each statements on Voluntary active euthanasia (VAE), Physician assisted suicide (PAS), Withholding life-sustaining management, Withdrawing life-sustaining management, and Terminal sedation (TS) was 37.1%, 21.7%, 58.4%, 60.3%, and 41.6%, respectively. The grade of students, religious activity, and educational experience were determinant factors. Agreement on each statements was higher in the low religious activity group than in the high religious activity group. Agreement on TS was higher among 3rd year students during their clerkship than among 1st and 2nd year students. Age of students and the experience of dying-people care had no significant influence. Conclusion: In end-of-life decision-making, religious and educational factors influenced medical students' attitudes. Especially, the experience of education during clerkship had significant influence on the attitude. Proper teaching on end-of-life decisions should further be considered during medical students' clerkship.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.90-97
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• 2013

Purpose: Ten years have passed since the Korean government announced its plan to institutionally support hospice and palliative care in 2002. In line with that, this study aims to suggest future directions for Korea's hospice and palliative care policy. Methods: We conducted a survey on people's perception and acceptance of well-dying. Data were collected from 1,000 participants aged 19~69 years between June 1 and June 11, 2012 via computer-assisted telephone interviews. Results: The most important factor for well-dying was placing no burden of care on others (36.7%) and the second most important factor was staying with their family and loved ones (19.1%). Among nine suggestions of policy support for well-dying, the most popular was the promotion of voluntary care sharing (88.3%), followed by the palliative care training support for healthcare providers (83.7%) and the support for palliative care facilities instead of funeral halls (81.7%). The idea of formulating a five-year national plan for end-of-life care drew strong support (91%). According to the survey, the plan should be implemented by the central government (47.5%), the National Assembly (20.2%) or civic groups (10%). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the public consensus and their consistent direction toward policy support for well-dying. Results of this study may serve as a foundation for the establishment of policy support for people's well-dying and palliative care at the national-level.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.229-240
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes towards death and euthanasia among nurses and general population. Methods: The participants were 192 nurses and 255 people. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from March 5 to May 30. 2010 and analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients by using SAS Program 12.0. Results: The attitudes towards death showed significantly higher scores in nurses than general population. The attitudes towards euthanasia showed significantly higher scores in nurses. There were significant positive correlations between attitudes towards death and euthanasia in nurses and. people. Conclusion: The above results indicated that the higher level of cognition towards death, the more positive attitudes towards euthanasia. Besides, nurses treating with terminal illness were higher level of cognition on death and positive attitudes towards euthanasia. Therefore, we should established the strategy and education program to understand on death and euthanasia for people including the health care providers.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 1998

Background : It is almost important therapy modality to control pain for the terminal cancer patients for the last 24 hours because those terminally illed patient deserved to have pain free and peaceful time before death. Physician who is deal with terminal cancer patients for their last 24 hours does not need to worry about drug addiction or other untoward side reactions of pain medications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if terminally illed cancer patient was given pain medication properly and sufficiently and if there was any different behavior to control pain of terminal cancer patients between medical physicians and surgeons in terms of type, amount and administration route and frequency. Methods : A retrospective chart audit of analgesic type, amount and administration route was performed on the medical recorders of 160 hospitalized terminal cancer patients who had died in the Korea University Medical Center Anam Hospital during the period of July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995. Patients were classified into 103 patients were cared for by medical physicians and 57 patients were cared for by surgeons. After then, we analysed the difference of pain control pattern between them. Different types and amount of analgesics were converted to a common standard, an oral morphine equivalents(OME) relative to 1mg of oral morphine. Results : 1) The total number of patients was 160, male 102 cases(63.8%), and the female was 58 cases(36.2%) respectively. 2) The mean age was 56.4(${\pm}14.62$) years old and mean admission period was 27.8 days(${\pm}34.85$). 3) The frequent cancer site was stomach 42 cases(26.315), lung and liver 29 cases(18.1%) each, pancreas 10 cases(6.2%) in order 4) 125 out of 160 subjects (78.13%) complained pain, and 66 out of 103(64.08%) and 31 out of 57(54.39%) were treated with analgesics to relieve pain. 50 out of 97(51.55%) were able to continue on oral medication. 5) 86 cases(53.75%) were well oriented 24 hours prior to death. 6) The frequent analgesics for regular basis were long acting form of oral morphine 34 cases(Medical phsicians 24, Surgeons 10), intravenous morphine 26 cases(Medical physicians 20, Surgeons 6) in order, and the most common p.r.n.(pro re nata) analgesics used was intravenous morphine. 7) The mean amount of analgesics on regular basis was 115.41 OME by medical physicians and 52.7 OME by surseons(P<0.05). The mean amount of p.r.n. analgesics was significantly larger in patients are for by surgeons(66.64 OME) than medical physicians 23.49 OME(P<0.01). 8) The mean frequency of administrated number of p.r.n. analgesics was 0.62 times/day on medical part and 1.88 times/day on surgical part (P<0.001). Conclusion : Of the 97 patients with advanced cancer, 51.55% were able to take oral medications in the last day of life. The parenteral analgesics were more frequently used in the patients cared for by surgeons than medical physicians. Over the half of terminal cancer patients were well oriented in the last day of life. Doctor's knowledge and attitude towards pain is very important to mange the pain, effectively.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.162-178
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• 1974

The present study is purported to provide a basic information to be utilized by nurses to care and attend effectively for patients nearing the moment of death. Therefore, the primary purpose of the study has been placed upon grasping an understanding of the trends of death in general. For this purpose: 1. By utilizing the schneidman questionnaire, the trend of death has been categorized by 6 parts and analyzed. 2. A search has been conducted to find out dying patient's needs, nurse's attitudes viewed by the patient, and nurse attitudes to dying patient. The followings are itemized results of analysis: 1. Analysis by the schneidman questionnaire. (1) In general concepts of death. the first sighting of the occurrence of death was experienced upon strangers, grandfather and great grandfather. The death is openly discussed among people of all ages and sex. Ages in which the death is mostly feared were from 12 to well over 70 yews old that are evenly distributed regardless of difference in age. (2) As to the attitudes toward death the occurrence of death to most closely associated person influenced most upon the attitude of their own termination of lives. Among the reading materials, the maximum influence was effected by the Bible. In terms of religion, the thoughts of death were Influenced by religions education in case of the believers of the western religions (36%), and by their own health and physical conditions in case of the believers in the oriental religions (35%). In case of non-believer, their attitude toward death were largely determined through their own thinking meditation (45%). People aged 20 or thereunder revealed that they wished to know the day of their own death to be occurred (58%). However, the older the less thor wanted to know. (3) As to the choosing the time of death, 57% preferred senility, and 30% preferred the time in mediately following the prime period of their lives in general. In terms of religion, 85% of the believer in the oriental religion preferred senility, and 67% in the western religion, 58% in others, Therefore. the desiring of their lives to be terminated in earlier stage, not by the natural senility. sequenced as follows : Others, western religions and oriental religions. (4) Referring to the disposal of the corpse under the assumption that it had already occurred, majority desired the burial system. There has been seen a slight tendency to consider the importance of holding funeral services for the sake of survivors. Concerning the life insurance policy, it showed that the nurse had less belief in it than the patient (5) Upon the subject of life-after-death. religion wise, 72% of western religion believers preferred to have an existence of life-after-death: Among the believers of oriental regions, 35% desired this category, 30% did not mind either way. and 35% did not desire the existence of such a life-after-death. In others, 53% did not mind whether or not such a life existed. (6) In general, serious thoughts were not being attended to the commitment of suicide. 37% emphasized that such an act should be prevented. However, 30% insisted that such commitment should not be bothered, and that society possesses no right to prevented it. More male wished to commit suicide (13%) than females (9%). 2. Nurse's attitudes toward terminal patients and patient's needs. In the instance where the patient realized that their death is imminent, most of them showed desire to discuses mainly on the problems of life. When faced a situation of this nature, it is revealed that 40% of nurses could not furnish appropriate care for them.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1197-1211
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• 2010

This research was concucted to present a model of advance directives(AD) when a patient, who is in consciousness, shows a preference for an end of life care as an act of preparing for an uncertain situation that may arise in the forseeable future. The subjects of the research are 383 doctors/nurese and adults, who live in six cities and provinces, to investigate the status of AD, attitude regarding a meaningless life-prolonging treatment, and moreover, an understanding of and a preference for AD. The research was done by the well-structured questionnaire. Also, SPSS 14.0 is used to analyse the collected data, focused on frequency analysis, avearage and standard deviation, X2 test. As the results of the study, the most of the surveyed doctors/nurese knew DNR orders and AD and a few of them used DNR orders and AD practically. Also, the result shows that there is a negative conception of meaningless life-prolonging treatment among the responents, in addition, most of them agreed upon the idea of introducing AD to Korea, filling it out and making it legally effective. As a method of making AD out, the respondents wanted to use a form that mixed living will with an Power of Attorney in a document. Also, considering the appropriate time, respondents prefered when they are diagnosed with terminal illness. At the moment, the introductory model for AD, which is suitable for the Korean culture and current situation is presented based on the result of this research. In the future, other researches should deal with specific measures that can lead to a social consensus to adopt AD in Korea.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.155-161
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• 2012

Purpose: In this study, we evaluated the effects of training for survival prediction of terminally ill patients in terms of medical professionals' confidence, accuracy and knowledge of survival prediction. Methods: Twenty-nine participants completed a self-administered questionnaire where they scored their confidence, accuracy and knowledge of survival prediction before and after the training session. The training was provided in July 2009 at a university hospital located in Gyeonggi province, Republic of Korea. The participants were instructed by a professor of family medicine specialized in hospice palliative medicine to predict survival of a case using the palliative prognostic score and objective prognostic score. The training was provided in the form of a PowerPoint presentation for 40 minutes. Results: Participants' confidence in survival prediction significantly increased from $4.00{\pm}1.73$ ($mean{\pm}SD$) (0~10, visual analogue scale) to $5.83{\pm}1.71$ after the training (P<0.001). Before training, participant's level of confidence significantly correlated with their age (P=0.04). The training significantly improved the correlation between the confidence level and the number of terminal cancer patients whom they have experienced (P=0.005 before training, P=0.017 after training). Participant's accuracy in survival prediction also significantly improved from 14 of 29 (48%) to 27 of 29 (93.1%) (P<0.001). The change in knowledge of survival prediction was too small to be statistically analyzed. Conclusion: After training, the confidence and accuracy scores significantly improved. Further study with a greater number of participants is needed to generalize this finding.