The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice / American Board of Family Practice
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Patients and their physicians are increasingly being encouraged to discuss end-of-life decisions. The purpose of this study was to enhance understanding of the public's attitudes and knowledge about medical decision making and advance care directives. ⋯ Although living wills are advocated by many authorities, and many of our participants endorsed their use, our participants also cited numerous cautions and impediments to their use. As the role of advance care directives changes, physicians will need to be aware of their patients' perceptions, as well as the legalities of these documents.