Current Advance Directive Use in South
Australia: Results from the 2012 Spring
South Australian Health Omnibus Survey
Sandra L Bradley, Presenter
PhD Candidate,
CareSearch Palliative Care Knowledge Network
Flinders University, Palliative and Supportive Services
South Australia, Australia
Thank You
• CareSearch Palliative Care Knowledge
Network for PhD scholarship and HOS survey
funding
• Supervisors:
Associate Professor, Jennifer Tieman,
Director of CareSearch
Associate Professor, Richard Woodman
Director of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Professor Paddy Phillips,
Chief Medical Officer of South Australia
Flinders University, Palliative and Supportive Services
CareSearch is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
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Background to Study
• Continuation of Masters Degree topic which investigated the factors that
influence South Australian Baby Boomers to either create or not create
an advance directive.
• The PhD investigates whether interventions in the online environment
can facilitate advance directive completions by South Australian Baby
Boomers and comprises 3 projects which inform each other.
– Systematic Review on the effectiveness of online advance directives
– Health Omnibus Survey (HOS) in South Australia to determine current
prevalence rates of advance directive and computer use and comfort
– Intervention study to test whether online knowledge and/or reminders can
increase completion rates of advance directives in South Australian Baby
Boomers.
This presentation focuses on some of the data from the HOS survey
(Ethics approval by Flinders University Social and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee)
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Methodology of SA HOS
• Data collected Sept – Dec 2012
• Metropolitan and Regional South Australia
• Sample size 3055 respondents from 5200
households (66.4% response rate)
• Data in this presentation weighted by person
and household weights
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HOS Survey Question 1
Have you completed any of the following forms for
yourself? (multiple responses allowed)
–
–
–
–
–
Power of Attorney (for finances)
Power of Guardianship (for healthcare and welfare)
Will (for after you have died)
Medical Power of Attorney (for healthcare)
“Living Will” (advance care plan, statement of choices, life
values statement, organ donation card or other)
– None of the above
– Don’t know/Refused to Answer
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Overall Prevalence Rates for Q1
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% Document Completion by Age Group – Q1
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% of Document Completion by Age – Q1 Con’t
8
% of Document Completion by Age – Q1 Con’d
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HOS Survey Question 2
Thinking about your family and friends, have you talked
with someone or helped someone to complete any of
the following forms?(multiple responses allowed)
–
–
–
–
–
Power of Attorney (for finances)
Power of Guardianship (for healthcare and welfare)
Will (for after you have died)
Medical Power of Attorney (for healthcare)
“Living Will” (advance care plan, statement of choices, life
values statement, organ donation card or other)
– None of the above
– Don’t know/Refused to Answer
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Overall Prevalence Rates for Q2
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% Helped Someone by Age – Q2
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% Helped Someone by Age – Q2
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% Helped Someone by Age – Q2
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HOS Survey Question 3
Using a Power of Attorney or Guardianship, have you
ever had to make decisions for someone else?
– Yes
– No
– Don’t know/Refused to Answer
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Prevalence Rates for Q3
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HOS Survey Question 4
I am not interested in learning about
advance directives
- Yes
- No
- Refused to Answer
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Prevalence Rates for Learning More about
ADs
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Conclusion
Results of this survey have identified:
• More participants in this survey completed a Will than
any other instrument
• Of the true advance directives, more participants
completed a Power of Attorney than the healthcare
and value or choice instruments
• The age group which most frequently assisted others
with these documents was aged 45-64.
• A low percentage of participants engaged in decisionmaking under a formal POA or POG
• Majority of participants are interested in learning
more about advance directives.
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Some things we haven’t discussed
• The affect of other sociodemographic characteristics
on completion rates, e.g. gender, education, wealth,
occupation, marital status
• Which documents were completed singularly or
together, e.g. POA + POG, POA only
• The format that most people would prefer to learn
about ADs, e.g. online, face-to-face, telephone or
other
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