Outcomes
death, dementia
CORONAVIRUS, DISEASE, SECONDARY
The primary outcome is whether participants choose comfort care or life-prolonging care, in 3 domains: 1) as the overall preference for their care, 2) in the case of 4 specific illnesses (being diagnosed with dementia, a brain injury, a disease of the CNS, and other terminal illnesses), and 3) in the case of 5 specific treatments (CPR, admission to the ICU, mechanical ventilation, kidney dialysis, and feeding tube insertion). The 4 conditions are based on the Compassion in Dying living will template,There are also several secondary outcomes and control variables. First, a behavioral measure recorded whether participants clicked on a link to the AD page on the NHS website after completing the form. Second, questions were asked about relevant experiences and attitudes, such as their current health, access to private health insurance, being admitted to an ICU, the death of a loved one, and preferences for decision making with a doctor. Third, questions about coronavirus itself were included: concerns about contracting it and getting seriously ill, worries about loved ones getting seriously ill, whether the participant or any of their loved ones had had it, and how severe those cases were. Finally, demographic information was collected, including age, gender, ethnicity, religion, and education, as it is possible these factors could also influence end-of-life decisions.