The study, a retrospective review of patients who died in an oncology ward in Singapore General Hospital from February to April 2011, collected data from 55 patients. It found that patients and families were involved in the disclosure of diagnosis and initial treatment decisions in over 60% of cases, while just 9% of alert patients were consulted in end-of-life decisions. In 12% of cases, the family requested withholding of the diagnosis from the patient.
According to researcher Grace Meijuan Yang in an article published in News-Medical.net: “The healthcare decision making process in Asian societies, including Singapore, tends to prioritise the family above the individual, whereas the competent patient is the healthcare decision maker in western developed nations.”
It is hoped that the study will act as a pilot for a larger prospective study examining the preferences of cancer patients on the decision making process, and the reasons for excluding patients from that process.
BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care. Published Online First: 3 January 2013.
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