Observational studyJournal of pain and symptom management2020
The Association of Surrogate Decision Makers' Religious and Spiritual Beliefs With End-of-Life Decisions.
Observational study in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Determinants of ICU Admission Care Limitation in Patients Younger Than 65 Years: A Prospective, Observational, Multicenter Study.Critical care explorations · 2026Observational
- Improving Outcomes for ICU Family Members: The Role of Spiritual Care.Journal of palliative medicine · 2025Review
- Limitation of life sustaining therapy in disorders of consciousness: ethics and practice.Brain : a journal of neurology · 2024Review
- The experience of patients with hematological malignancy in their terminal stage: a phenomenological study from Jordan's perspective.BMC palliative care · 2024Article
- End-of-Life Practices in an Intensive Care Unit of a Private Hospital in Mexico.Palliative medicine reports · 2024Article
- Characteristics Associated With Mexican-American Hospice Use: Retrospective Cohort Study Using the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE).The American journal of hospice & palliative care · 2023Article
- South African speech-language therapists' practices regarding feeding tube placement in people with advanced dementia.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir Kommunikasieafwykings · 2022Article
- Honoring Black Hopes: How to respond when the family is hoping for a miracle.F1000Research · 2022Article
- When is it considered reasonable to start a risky and uncomfortable treatment in critically ill patients? A random sample online questionnaire study.BMC medical ethics · 2021Article
- Assisted life termination and truth telling to terminally ill patients - a cross-sectional study of public opinions in Israel.Israel journal of health policy research · 2020Article
- Psychological Attachment Orientations of Surrogate Decision-Makers and Goals-of-Care Decisions for Brain Injury Patients in ICUs.Critical care explorations · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
contextAlthough religion and spirituality are important to surrogate decision makers, little is known about the role of religion in decision making regarding life-sustaining treatments.
objectivesTo determine the relationships between dimensions of religion and spirituality and medical treatment decisions made by surrogates.
methodsThis prospective observational study enrolled patient/surrogate dyads from three hospitals in one metropolitan area. Eligible patients were 65 years or older and admitted to the medicine or medical intensive care services. Baseline surveys between hospital days 2 and 10 assessed seven dimensions of religion and spirituality. Chart reviews of the electronic medical record and regional health information exchange six months after enrollment identified the use of life-sustaining treatments and hospice for patients who died.
resultsThere were 291 patient/surrogate dyads. When adjusting for other religious dimensions, demographic, and illness factors, only surrogates' belief in miracles was significantly associated with a lower surrogate preference for do-not-resuscitate status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.39; 95% CI 0.19, 0.78). Among patients who died, higher surrogate intrinsic religiosity was associated with lower patient receipt of life-sustaining treatments within the last 30 days (aOR 0.66; 95% CI 0.45, 0.97). Belief in miracles (aOR 0.30; 95% CI 0.10, 0.96) and higher intrinsic religiosity (aOR 0.70; 95% CI 0.53, 0.93) were associated with lower hospice utilization.
conclusionFew religious variables are associated with end-of-life preferences or treatment. Belief in miracles and intrinsic religiosity may affect treatment and should be identified and explored with surrogates by trained chaplains or other clinicians with appropriate training.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.