Responses from two random samples (200 from the general population and 108 institutionalized elderly) were examined to explore for differences between the two samples in trusting their physicians to honor death related instructions. Data representing trust in physicians pertains only to death related circumstances and are drawn from responses to the question “If you gave your doctor specific instructions about your dying, would you trust him (or her) to do as you asked?”, to which 69 percent of the general population and 81 percent of the institutionalized elderly population responded Yes or Probably Yes.
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