[The availability of living wills in an interdisciplinary emergency department: results of a patient survey].

INTRODUCTION

Despite an increasing attention to living wills, the effects of such living wills on patient care in the emergency departments remains unknown.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All patients who were admitted to our emergency department between September 24th, 2014 and November 23th, 2014 were asked, whether they have signed living wills previously and if so, whether they have it on hand at admission.

RESULTS

496 patients (229 men (46.2 %), 267 women (53.8 %)) with a mean age of 64.9 ± 18.8 years were included in this survey. 138 patients (27.8 %) had a living will but only 16 patients (3.2 %) had it on hand.Altogether, the existence of living wills increased with an increasing patient`s age; only 5 of 117 patients aged 50 years old or younger (4,3 %) had a living will, but 133 of 379 patients older than 50 years (35,1 %).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Despite an obviously broad acceptance of living wills especially in the elderly population, there are hardly any consequences on the daily patient care in an emergency department by now, as hardly any patient has hers or his living will on hand at admission. We therefore see the need for further educational work to guarantee that living wills get adequate priority in patient care at emergency departments.