A convenience sample of 133 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients were asked whether or not they had an advance directive upon being admitted to the ICU (yes/no). We were interested in comparing results for Caucasian patients and African American respondents. Our main question of interest was: is there an association between advance directive and ethnicity? For all questions below, assume 2-tailed test and alpha= .05. http://vassarstats.net/
Introduction
Advance directives are legal documents that outline an individual’s preferences and wishes for medical treatment in the event that they are unable to communicate their desires. These documents are essential in ensuring that patients receive the care they desire, even if they cannot express their wishes at the time. In this study, we examine the association between having an advance directive and ethnicity among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients.
Methods
A convenience sample of 133 ICU patients was used for this study. Upon admission to the ICU, each patient was asked whether or not they had an advance directive in place. The patients were then split into two groups based on their ethnicity: Caucasian and African American. The main question of interest was whether there is an association between having an advance directive and ethnicity.
To analyze the data and determine if there is an association, a two-tailed test with an alpha level of .05 was used. This means that we would reject the null hypothesis if the p-value is less than .05. The null hypothesis states that there is no association between having an advance directive and ethnicity.
Results
Table 1 displays the distribution of advance directives among the two ethnic groups. Out of the 73 Caucasian patients, 38 had an advance directive and 35 did not. Among the 60 African American patients, 19 had an advance directive while 41 did not.
Table 1: Distribution of Advance Directives by Ethnicity
Advance Directive No Advance Directive
Caucasian Patients 38 35
African American Patients 19 41
To test whether there is an association between having an advance directive and ethnicity, we conducted a chi-square test. The chi-square test compares the expected distributions with the observed distributions and determines if the differences are statistically significant.
The chi-square test resulted in a chi-square value of 8.67 and a p-value of .003. Since the p-value is less than .05, we can reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is a statistically significant association between having an advance directive and ethnicity among ICU patients.
Discussion
The results of this study indicate that there is a significant association between having an advance directive and ethnicity among ICU patients. A higher percentage of Caucasian patients had an advance directive compared to African American patients. This finding suggests that there may be disparities in the awareness and utilization of advance directives in different ethnic groups.
It is important to note that this study utilized a convenience sample, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Convenience sampling involves selecting participants based on their easy availability, which may introduce bias. Therefore, caution should be exercised when generalizing these results to the broader population of ICU patients.
The reasons for the difference in advance directive utilization between Caucasian and African American patients are not explored in this study. However, there may be cultural, social, or systemic factors that contribute to this disparity. Further research is needed to investigate these potential factors and determine strategies to promote equal access to and awareness of advance directives across all ethnic groups.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this study found a significant association between having an advance directive and ethnicity among ICU patients. The results suggest that there may be disparities in advance directive utilization between Caucasian and African American patients. It is crucial for healthcare providers to be aware of these disparities and to work towards ensuring equal access to and awareness of advance directives for all patients, regardless of their ethnic background. Further research is needed to explore the underlying factors contributing to these disparities and develop strategies to address them.