How do general end-of-life treatment goals and values relate to specific treatment preferences? A population-based study.

The article presents a population-based study that examined the relationship between the general end-of-life goals of Dutch older people and their specific life-sustaining treatment preferences. The study found that 13.5% of the patients preferred a longer life, irrespective of health problems, and 86.5% of them wanted a shorter life. It indicated that in the cancer scenario, the relationship between a desire for a treatment and a preference for a longer life ranged from 50% to 76%.