End-of-life decisions in individuals dying with dementia in Belgium

Abstract

Objectives To describe the prevalence and characteristics of end-of-life decisions in individuals dying with dementia in Belgium. Design Retrospective mail survey. Setting Brussels and Flanders, Belgium. Participants Physicians certifying a large random sample of deaths (n = 8,627). Measurements End-of-life decision-making in individuals dying with dementia (n = 361) was compared through bivariate and multivariable analyses with decision-making in individuals dying from cancer (n = 1,276) as reference group. Results Response rate was 54.7%. The intense pain and symptoms of individuals with dementia was alleviated less often than those of individuals with cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 0.50, P