Abstract

Background: In the Republic of Korea, the implementation of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision System has facilitated end-of-life care planning through advanced directives. Despite the availability of this system, there are few studies about advance directives itself and Korean medicine clinics(KMC) have been underrepresented as registration institutions, with limited data on their involvement. Objective: The study delved into the landscape of advance directives within KMC, shedding light on the characteristics of the subject and the correlation between sociodemographic factors with the intention to use hospice and the allowance of pre-access. Results: Data from a specific KMC's advance directives registry were analyzed, with 89 cases meeting the criteria for investigation. Results revealed a predominant female presence among registrants, with an average age of 70.28 ± 9.47 years. While no statistically significant relationship was found between gender/age/distance and the intention to use hospice or pre-access allowance, those expressing a desire for hospice care were more inclined to permit pre-access. In addition, the closer the distance, the older the subject. These findings underscore the evolving dynamics of end-of-life care planning in Korea, urging greater participation of KMC in hospice palliative care initiatives. The study's limitations include its single-institution focus and potential impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The study found a strong link between hospice intention and pre-access allowance and highlighted the association between distance and age. These findings emphasized the evolving role of KMC in end-of-life care planning and call for further research to explore their increasing involvement in hospice palliative care initiatives.