Background. The goal of advance directives is to help patients retain their dignity and autonomy by making their own decisions regarding end-stage medical treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine preferences of advance directives among general population in Korea. Method. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was performed from October 2007 to June 2008 in Seoul, Korea. A total of 336 city-dwelling adults self-administered the questionnaire and returned it via mail. Data analyses were conducted using SPSS 17.0. Results. Subjects reported the need for healthcare providers' detailed explanations and recommendations regarding end-of-life care. When there is no hope of recovery and death is imminent, most subjects did not want to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation nor an IV or tube feeding. However, most of the subjects wanted pain management care. Conclusions. The present study showed that many Korean people have an interest in advance directives. The results show that the autonomy and dignity of patient have increased in importance. To provide better end-of-life care, there is a need to educate patients on the definition and intent of an advance directive. Additional proactive communication between patients and their caregivers should be educated to healthcare providers. 1. Background An advance directive (AD) is an “oral or written statement in which people declare their treatment preferences in the event that they lose decision-making capacity” [1]. ADs are used to enhance the autonomy of patients for when they are unable to make medical decisions or express their preferences by themselves [2]. Therefore, ADs become a kind of a truism to assert respect for the patient in regard to their autonomy [3]. Capron [4] has stated that when a patient has a properly executed AD, the patient would, in theory, alleviate much of the uncertainty that often paralyzes physicians and family members (or other surrogate decision makers) and would facilitate the resolution that best reflects their true wishes regarding their care [5]. In the USA, ADs have received widespread attention ever since the enactment of the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA, Public Law no. 101–508) in 1991 [6]. Various laws related to ADs give patients the right to express their wishes for end-of-life situations. The PSDA ensures that advance care planning is documented in the patient’s medical record in advance and makes it as a formal document. The estimates of those with ADs vary from 16 to 26% in the USA [7]. Healthcare providers consistently try to apply ADs to older patients
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