Dealing With Death Taboo: Discussion of Do-Not-Resuscitate Directives With Chinese Patients With Noncancer Life-Limiting Illnesses.

Background: Noncancer patients with life-limiting diseases often receive more intensive level of care in their final days of life, with more cardiopulmonary resuscitation performed and less do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders in place. Nevertheless, death is still often a taboo across Chinese culture, and ethnic disparities could negatively affect DNR directives completion rates.

Objectives: We aim to explore whether Chinese noncancer patients are willing to sign their own DNR directives in a palliative specialist clinic, under a multidisciplinary team approach.