Key result
The diagnosis of cancer negatively impacted physicians' decisions to administer CPR compared to other chronic medical illnesses, independent of prognostic assumptions.
Why the study?
Does the diagnostic label of cancer reduce the likelihood of physicians deciding to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to other chronic medical illnesses?
Cross-Sectional
Does the diagnostic label of cancer reduce the likelihood of physicians deciding to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation compared to other chronic medical illnesses?
The diagnosis of cancer negatively impacts physicians' CPR decisions independently of prognostic assumptions, with variations also seen based on physician subspecialty and gender.
Cancer diagnosis may bias physicians' CPR decisions beyond prognosis; hypothesis-generating for bias-mitigation strategies in resuscitation care.
We asked if physicians are less likely to resuscitate patients with cancer because of the diagnostic label alone. We composed a questionnaire of nine patient vignettes with similar expected mortality rates, identical quality of life, and witnessed cardiopulmonary arrest. Internists and neurologists in a university training program were asked to decide, for each "patient," whether to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before and after being informed of similar mortality rates. Decisions for CPR were less frequent for cancer vignettes than for vignettes of other chronic medical illnesses before and after mortality information was given. Analysis indicated that decisions varied among physicians according to their subspecialties. Overall, women favored resuscitation less often than did men. The diagnosis of cancer appears to have a negative impact on physicians' CPR decisions over and above that due to inaccurate prognostic assumptions about cancer. A physician's subspecialty and gender may also influence resuscitation decisions for patients in general.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Valerie A. Lawrence (1987) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiopulmonary arrest in cancer patients. Diagnosis of cancer vs. Other chronic medical illnesses was evaluated on Decision to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The diagnosis of cancer negatively impacted physicians' decisions to administer CPR compared to other chronic medical illnesses, independent of prognostic assumptions.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: