Advance directives. Population prevalence and demand in Florida.

The level of knowledge is examined about the prevalence of and potential demand for advance directives--living wills and health-care surrogates--by adult residents of the state of Florida. Questions about advance directives were included in random digit dialing telephone surveys of 1,000 Florida residents 18 years of age and older in November 1994 and April 1995. Surveys were completed by 52% of the November sample and 56% of the April sample. Among those responding 88% had heard of living wills and 25% of health-care surrogates; 25% had completed a living will and 8% had designated a health-care surrogate. Of those with no advance directives 73% said they would complete them if the forms were made readily available in convenient locations. Although a relatively high proportion of Florida residents have advance directives, there are independent age and socioeconomic effects in the likelihood of their completion. Advance directives are desired by many more people, but the current methods of educating and availing persons of the appropriate forms are not adequate to meet the demand.