Table 3 Representative participant responses to the "I want my main doctor to talk to me about how long I might live" Likert statement by domains

Agree or strongly agree

1) ability to plan

1) "If it's positive, if they think I'm going to live a long while, I could plan accordingly. It would help you get your house in order, so to speak, if it's negative, if I only have a little time left to live."

2) communication preferences

2) "Because I have a right to know what he's thinking about, I wouldn't go to a doctor who wouldn't talk to me or communicate freely."

3) knowledge preferences

3) "I want to know as much as I can about myself. I'm not afraid to be told I may die or when."

Disagree or strongly disagree

1) ability to plan

1) "It might discombobulate me and interfere with my will to live."

2) communication preferences

2) "What for? What will be accomplished by that conversation, as long as I'm healthy? If I were seriously ill, I'd want to make provisions while I could, for my family."

3) knowledge preferences

3) "It would color all of your decisions and I don't think you should be making them on a guesstimate!"