Relationship between universal health outcome priorities and willingness to take medication for primary prevention of myocardial infarction

Abstract

Objectives To determine how well universal health outcome priorities represent individuals' preferences in specific clinical situations. Design Observational cohort study. Setting Community. Participants Community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older (N = 357). Measurements Participants used three tools assessing universal health outcome priorities related to two common trade-offs: quality versus quantity of life and future health versus present inconveniences and burdens of treatment. The tools' ability to identify participants who were unwilling to take a medication that reduced the risk of myocardial infarction but caused dizziness and fatigue was analyzed. Results There were consistent and significant associations between unwillingness to take the medication and prioritizing quality of life or future health for all three tools in the expected direction (P