Meeker Mary Ann
University of Buffalo, New York, USA.
Qual Health Res. 2004 Feb;14(2):204-25. doi: 10.1177/1049732303260501.
Family surrogate decision makers are pivotal in end-of-life decision-making processes. The author investigated decision-making experiences of 20 surrogates who assisted terminally ill family members for this grounded theory study. Findings describe a basic social process of Seeing Them Through With Care and Respect, during which surrogates continuously synthesized the core values of caring for their family member and respecting their family member's autonomy. Surrogate narratives began with Learning the Diagnosis. The major categories of surrogate decision makers' activities during the process were Standing With and Acting For the ill family member. Events reported in two gating categories, Brokering Information and Working With Family, facilitated or impeded decision making. A final category, Outcomes, reports consequences for the surrogate of having been a decision maker.
家庭替代决策者在临终决策过程中起着关键作用。作者对20名替代者的决策经历进行了调查，这些替代者在这项扎根理论研究中协助身患绝症的家庭成员。研究结果描述了一个“带着关怀和尊重陪伴他们度过难关”的基本社会过程，在此过程中，替代者不断综合照顾家庭成员和尊重其自主权的核心价值观。替代者的叙述始于得知诊断结果。在此过程中，替代者决策者活动的主要类别是陪伴患病家庭成员并为其采取行动。在“促成信息传递”和“与家人合作”这两个关键类别中报告的事件促进或阻碍了决策。最后一个类别“结果”报告了作为决策者给替代者带来的后果。
