Table 2

Content rating of end-of-life care across the ten domains
Textbook
 Disease
 No information (%)
 Minimally helpful information (%)
 Helpful information present (%)
 Content rating by disease
 Content rating by textbook
Brocklehurst's Textbook of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology (6th edition, 2003)
 Alzheimer's Disease
 18
 45
 36
 0.59

Stroke
 18
 45
 36
 0.59

Chronic Heart Failure
 55
 36
 9
 0.27
 0.45

COPD
 36
 18
 45
 0.55

Lung Cancer
 55
 36
 9
 0.27
Oxford Textbook of Geriatric Medicine (2nd edition, 2000)
 Alzheimer's Disease
 36
 45
 18
 0.41

Stroke
 9
 36
 55
 0.73

Chronic Heart Failure
 63
 27
 9
 0.23
 0.47

COPD
 9
 73
 18
 0.55

Lung Cancer
 27
 55
 18
 0.45
Principles of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology-Hazzard et al (5th edition, 2003)
 Alzheimer's Disease
 55
 27
 18
 0.32

Stroke
 55
 27
 18
 0.32

Chronic Heart Failure
 0
 55
 45
 0.73
 0.45

COPD
 45
 36
 18
 0.36

Lung Cancer
 36
 27
 36
 0.50
The Merck Manual of Geriatrics (3rd edition, 2000)
 Alzheimer's Disease
 9
 36
 55
 0.73

Stroke
 18
 45
 36
 0.59

Chronic Heart Failure
 18
 73
 9
 0.45
 0.63

COPD
 0
 36
 63
 0.82

Lung Cancer
 18
 55
 27
 0.55
Essentials of Clinical Geriatrics-Kane (5th edition, 2003)
 Alzheimer's Disease
 18
 45
 36
 0.59

Stroke
 73
 18
 9
 0.18

Chronic Heart Failure
 91
 9
 0
 0.05
 0.27

COPD
 -
 -
 -
 -

Lung Cancer
 -
 -
 -
 -

Wu et al. BMC Palliative Care 2006 5:5   doi:10.1186/1472-684X-5-5