Community Knowledge of Law on End-of-life Decision-making: An Australian Telephone Survey
Article
Article Title | Community Knowledge of Law on End-of-life Decision-making: An Australian Telephone Survey |
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ERA Journal ID | 33514 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Tilse, Cheryle (Author), Wilson, Jill (Author), White, Ben (Author), Willmott, Lindy (Author), Lawson, Deborah (Author), Dunn, Jeffrey (Author), Aitken, Joanne F. (Author), Pearce, Angela (Author) and Ferguson, Michele (Author) |
Journal Title | Journal of Law and Medicine |
Journal Citation | 27 (2), pp. 399-414 |
Number of Pages | 16 |
Year | 2019 |
Publisher | Lawbook Co. |
Place of Publication | Australia |
ISSN | 1320-159X |
Web Address (URL) | https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/agispt.20200220025661 |
Abstract | The law has a clear role to play in supporting patients and their substitute decision-makers (SDMs) to be involved in end-of-life (EOL) decision-making. Although existing literature suggests that knowledge of EOL law is variable among health professionals, there is little information about the extent and sources of such knowledge within the general community. A telephone survey of a representative sample of adults in three Australian States used six case scenarios to examine the extent to which adults know their legal duties, rights and powers as patients or SDMs; the sources from which people derive relevant legal knowledge; experiences of EOL decision-making; and individual characteristics associated with levels of knowledge. The results show considerable variation in levels of legal knowledge dependent primarily of the area of decision-making presented, some sizeable gaps in people's knowledge of EOL law, and varied awareness of how to access appropriate information on this subject. This study points to the need to increase community legal literacy around EOL decision-making, enhance awareness of the role of law in these circumstances and promote the availability of reliable and accessible information on the law at the time when it is needed. |
Keywords | end-of-life decision-making; end-of-life law; community legal knowledge; health law; legal literacy |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 420699. Public health not elsewhere classified |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | University of Queensland |
Queensland University of Technology | |
Cancer Council Australia, Australia | |
Institute for Resilient Regions | |
Queensland Cancer Fund, Australia | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q7v27/community-knowledge-of-law-on-end-of-life-decision-making-an-australian-telephone-survey
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