Table 1 Baseline characteristics of this cohort
| Â | N | Percentage (%) | Mean | Standard deviation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | ||||
 Male | 76 | 58.9 |  |  |
 Female | 53 | 41.1 |  |  |
Age (years old) | Â | Â | 61.69 | 13.14 |
  ≥ 49 | 20 | 15.5 |  |  |
 50 ~ 64 | 59 | 45.7 |  |  |
 65 ~ 74 | 25 | 19.4 |  |  |
  ≥ 75 | 25 | 19.4 |  |  |
Level of education | ||||
 Below Junior High School | 39 | 30.2 |  |  |
 Junior High School | 48 | 37.2 |  |  |
 College and above | 42 | 32.6 |  |  |
Marriage | ||||
 Married | 98 | 76.0 |  |  |
 Single | 20 | 15.5 |  |  |
 Divorced, Separated, Widowed | 4 | 3.1 |  |  |
Religion | ||||
 No | 33 | 25.6 |  |  |
 Buddhism or Taoism | 86 | 66.7 |  |  |
 Roman Catholicism or Christianity | 10 | 7.8 |  |  |
Residential Status | ||||
 Living Alone | 8 | 6.2 |  |  |
 Living with Family | 119 | 92.2 |  |  |
 Living with Others | 2 | 1.6 |  |  |
Financial Status | ||||
 Sufficient work income to support | 45 | 34.9 |  |  |
 Sufficient savings or retirement funds to support | 34 | 26.4 |  |  |
 Depend on family and friends for support | 43 | 33.3 |  |  |
 Depend on social assistance for support | 7 | 5.4 |  |  |
Comorbidity | ||||
 Hypertension | 75 | 58.1 |  |  |
 Diabetes mellitus | 52 | 40.3 |  |  |
 Cardiovascular disease | 33 | 25.6 |  |  |
 Arrhythmia | 20 | 15.5 |  |  |
 Dyslipidemia | 13 | 10.1 |  |  |
 Heart failure | 5 | 3.9 |  |  |
 Peptic ulcer disease | 5 | 3.9 |  |  |
 Malignancy | 5 | 3.9 |  |  |
 Ischemic heart disease | 4 | 3.1 |  |  |
 Stroke | 4 | 3.1 |  |  |
 Others | 19 | 14.7 |  |  |
Times of hemodialysis per week | ||||
 2 | 8 | 6.2 |  |  |
 3 | 121 | 93.8 |  |  |
Vintage of hemodialysis (years) | Â | Â | 6.98 | 6.62 |
  < 5 | 59 | 45.7 |  |  |
 5 ~ 9 | 37 | 28.7 |  |  |
  ≥ 1 | 33 | 25.6 |  |  |
The main reasons for choosing the dialysis method | ||||
 Doctor’s recommendation | 83 | 64.3 |  |  |
 Personal preference | 44 | 34.1 |  |  |
Family’s expectations | 2 | 1.6 |  |  |
(Formerly) Engaged in medical-related work | ||||
 Yes | 8 | 6.2 |  |  |
 No | 121 | 93.8 |  |  |
Feeling confused about the current dialysis decision | ||||
 Yes | 15 | 11.6 |  |  |
 No | 114 | 88.4 |  |  |
Have you signed a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order or an Advance Care Planning (ACP) and Advance Directive (AD) document for palliative care and life-sustaining treatment decisions? | ||||
 Yes | 17 | 13.2 |  |  |
 No | 112 | 86.8 |  |  |
Have healthcare providers discussed with you and your family about the prognosis and estimated survival time for dialysis? | ||||
 Yes | 19 | 14.7 |  |  |
 No | 110 | 85.3 |  |  |
Have healthcare providers discussed with you or your family about medical decisions when the condition worsens and becomes life-threatening? | ||||
 Yes | 18 | 14.0 |  |  |
 No | 111 | 86.0 |  |  |
Healthcare providers have provided you or your family with information about Advance Care Planning (ACP) and Advance Directives (AD) | ||||
 Yes | 5 | 3.9 |  |  |
 No | 124 | 96.1 |  |  |
Have you ever discussed medical decisions with your family when the condition worsens and becomes life-threatening? | ||||
 Yes | 40 | 31.0 |  |  |
 No | 89 | 69.0 |  |  |