DISCUSSION
cancer
CANCER, ADVANCED CANCER
Our study provides new evidence on how Chinese EOL advanced cancer patients made their AD healthcare preferences and examines the influence of default options and the position‐dependent order effect of treatment options on their decision‐making. Based on the default option choice outcomes, our results show that Chinese cancer patients did not hold strong preferences for EOL care. The default options significantly affected patients’ preferences for EOL care, not only the general goal of care but also the specific care treatment objectives. In our study, the order effect was significant only in the specific objectives of palliative care. Most patients chose to appoint their children to make EOL care decisions and the majority of patients let their family members have flexibility in following their AD preferences when they were unable to make their own healthcare decisions.Default options have been shown to influence decisions in domains as diverse as drivers' insurance,Considering comfort‐oriented patients had higher levels of emotional stability, positivity, and agreeableness,In previous research, order effects influenced decisions in domains as diverse as consumer preferences,Our study also found that most patients chose to appoint their children to make EOL care decisions. 118 (65.9%) of our advanced cancer patients handed their agency to their children, not their spouses or siblings. The finding was different from Harvey's research, which reported that 94% of patients who were married or in a long‐term relationship selected their spouse or partner as the preferred decision‐maker in the eastern United States.In addition, considering the fact that Chinese patients and their family members focused more on the life‐extending than the comfort‐care option, this higher level of direction by comfort‐care patients might support Chinese health providers in encouraging patients and their families to consider, where appropriate, CC through public advocacy and shared decision‐making, especially for those who might otherwise prioritize life‐extending care.