[Peripheral arterial occlusive diseases: opinion of lay audience]

An audience of about 500 elderly people were interviewed about their knowledge and therapeutic opinion on peripheral vascular disease. After a brief introduction by vascular surgeons 12 questions were presented for vote and answered with the use of a poll system. The audience proved well informed about the risk factors but confounded the symptoms. The participants declined to accept any limitation of their walking ability, overestimated the mid-term results of an eventual revascularisation and underestimated their risks and costs. 80% asked for a stop of smoking as a prerequisite for an intervention and again 80% were willing to pay by them-selves if the insurances would not reimburse them for an operation that would just improve their quality of life status. The honorarium for the surgeon was put up high. The poll shows that an audience can be enabled within a short period of time to deliberate therapeutic decisions and socio-economic problems. The answers reflect an overestimation of the medical possibilities but also a willingness to ask for and make personal contributions to a treatment which is not compelling in many cases.