Factors Associated with Veteran Patients Decisions About Advance Directives at the Minnesota VAMC

An estimated 30 million Americans are potentially eligible for care within the Veteran\u27s Administration system. To better understand how veterans choose whether or not to complete an advance directive this study obtained self-reports from eleven men on an extended care ward, at a local VA. An exploratory study was conducted using a questionnaire that gathered quantitative and qualitative data regarding demographics, reasons for having or not having an advance directive, and preferred learning methods. Consistent with other research, the findings indicated varied reasons for not having an advance directive including: never received information, never thought about it, procrastination, family already knows what the patients preferences are. Recommendations for a higher completion rate of advance directives include providing patient videos on the topic and one-on-one meetings with patients and family members to explain advance directives