[General practitioner consultation on advance directives - results of a survey of general practitioners in Lower...

Although medical consultation is not mandatory when drawing up living wills, it is recommended. General practitioners (GPs) can be suitable contact persons for drawing up and updating advance directive documents. The aim of this study is to record the frequency and type of GP counselling on advance directive documents. It also aims to record the subjective level of competence and knowledge of GPs with regard to counselling on advance directive documents.

An online survey was conducted between October and November 2024. The target group was all general practitioners practising in Lower Saxony. An adapted version of a field-tested questionnaire was used, including a case vignette-based knowledge test on advance care planning documents. The data were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Data from 502 GPs were included. 85.1% of respondents stated that they advise their patients on advance directive documents. Reasons for not counselling patients include a lack of need of patients or a lack of qualification of GPs. The participants rated their subjective counselling competence as rather high. Uncertainties were reported in dealing with patients' emotions and fears. The objective knowledge test showed an average score of 22.5 out of a possible 30 points. A high level of knowledge was particularly evident in relation to the conditions for the effectiveness of living wills. There are knowledge gaps in the area of representation law.

The majority of GPs surveyed counsel patients on advance directive documents. However, there are clear knowledge gaps and uncertainties that may influence the quality of counselling.