Overview
- A peer‑reviewed PLOS One paper published July 29, 2026 used responses from 6,098 people in wave 8 (2016/2017) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to measure six general healthcare preference domains.
- The analysis found clear group trends: women more often prioritized quality of life, were more risk‑averse and less open to experimental treatments, and men were more likely to hand decisions to doctors.
- Adults aged 75 and over showed stronger risk avoidance, lower openness to experimental treatments, greater willingness to delegate decisions to clinicians, and a preference for body function over appearance.
- Lower educational attainment was linked to greater deference to doctors, a finding that raises equity concerns about who is reached by shared decision‑making in routine NHS consultations.
- Authors warn the results come from hypothetical survey responses that may not predict real clinical choices and call for validated decision aids, broader samples, and longitudinal work to test how preferences change over time.