Journal article
Doctors' perspectives on law and life-sustaining treatment: Survey design and recruitment strategies for a challenging cohort
Progress in palliative care, Vol.24(4), pp.213-220
03/07/2016
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Source: InCites
Abstract
Background: Palliative medicine and other specialists play significant legal roles in decisions to withhold and withdraw life-sustaining treatment at the end of life. Yet little is known about their knowledge of or attitudes to the law, and the role they think it should play in medical practice. Consideration of doctors' views is critical to optimizing patient outcomes at the end of life. However, doctors are difficult to engage as participants in empirical research, presenting challenges for researchers seeking to understand doctors' experiences and perspectives.
Aims: To determine how to engage doctors involved in end-of-life care in empirical research about knowledge of the law and the role it plays in medical practice at the end of life.
Methods: Postal survey of all specialists in palliative medicine, emergency medicine, geriatric medicine, intensive care, medical oncology, renal medicine, and respiratory medicine in three Australian states: New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. The survey was sent in hard copy with two reminders and a follow up reminder letter was also sent to the directors of hospital emergency departments. Awareness was further promoted through engagement with the relevant medical colleges and publications in professional journals; various incentives to respond were also used. The key measure is the response rate of doctors to the survey.
Results: Thirty-two percent of doctors in the main study completed their survey with response rate by specialty ranging from 52% (palliative care) to 24% (medical oncology). This overall response rate was twice that of the reweighted pilot study (16%).
Conclusions: Doctors remain a difficult cohort to engage in survey research but strategic recruitment efforts can be effective in increasing response rate. Collaboration with doctors and their professional bodies in both the development of the survey instrument and recruitment of participants is essential.
Details
- Title
- Doctors' perspectives on law and life-sustaining treatment: Survey design and recruitment strategies for a challenging cohort
- Creators
- Lindy Willmott - Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of TechnologyBen White - Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of TechnologyColleen Cartwright - Southern Cross UniversityMalcolm Parker - Law and Professional Practice, School of Medicine, University of QueenslandGail Williams - School of Population Health, University of QueenslandPenny Neller - Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology
- Publication Details
- Progress in palliative care, Vol.24(4), pp.213-220
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Grant note
- LP0990329 / Office of the Public Guardian (Queensland) LP0990329 / New South Wales Public Guardian LP0990329 / Australian Research Council Linkage Scheme LP0990329 / Office of the Public Advocate (Victoria) LP0990329 / Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal LP0990329 / Office of the Public Advocate (Queensland) LP0990329 / New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal
- Identifiers
- 991012927060602368
- Academic Unit
- Office of the Vice Chancellor; Office of Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article