Conhecimento e atitudes dos profissionais de saúde sobre as diretivas antecipadas de vontade

Abstract

Introduction: Each person, based on the principle of autonomy and respect for their dignity, is free to decide on the care they want or not to receive. When the patient cannot express his or her preference or make decisions, he or she may resort to instructions given previously called Advance Directives. These instructions facilitate deliberation and allow the exercise of the right to autonomy, freedom within limits provided for by law, and respect for values and preferences when he or she is unable to decide. Objective: To analyze the knowledge and identify the attitudes of healthcare professionals regarding the Advance Directives. Material and Methods: Descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach through a questionnaire to 503 participants. Data processing using descriptive statistics. Results: Most of our sample are female, registered nurses, and graduates. Half had training in Palliative Care and Bioethics. In general, participants have adequate knowledge of the definition, legal aspects documents required, and application of the Advance Directives. They have positive attitudes at practical application and against complex scenarios of the execution of these instructions. Conclusions: Although there is widespread knowledge about the Advance Directives, there is little knowledge about Law No. 25/2012 of July 16, the term “therapeutic effort limitation” and the place where are registered the Advance Directives and who can access them. There was uncertainty in the disclosure of information about the clinical situation of the patient and the Advance Directives by healthcare professionals. The results further highlight the need to invest in healthcare professionals' knowledge, for example through training.

Date of Award	3 Aug 2020
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Manuel Luís Capelas (Supervisor)