[Knowledge and attitudes of medical staff in two health districts concerning living wills]. / Conocimientos y actitudes de los médicos en dos áreas sanitarias sobre las voluntades vitales anticipadas.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the knowledge and attitudes of physicians towards advance directives in 2 healthcare areas. To compare the outcomes of both areas. To compare the outcomes of primary healthcare and specialised healthcare. DESIGN: A cross sectional, descriptive study by means of a self-administered questionnaire. SETTING: North-Málaga and North-Almería healthcare areas, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians of primary and specialised healthcare. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Knowledge and attitudes towards advance directives. 194 (63.19%) questionnaires were filled out by the physicians from both healthcare districts. Mean age (standard deviation) 42.54 (80.85); 65.5% of participants were men and 33.5% were women; 51.55% from primary care and 48.45% from specialised healthcare. CONCLUSIONS: Polled physicians revealed a positive attitude towards the usefulness of advance directives for the patient's relatives and for healthcare professionals. They also show a positive attitude towards the use and respect of advance directives. They show a high predisposition to registry their advance directive, but a low predisposition to do so in a short term.

Conocimientos y actitudes de los médicos en dos áreas sanitarias sobre las voluntades vitales anticipadas / Knowledge and attitudes of medical staff in two health districts concerning living wills

Objetivos. Explorar los conocimientos y actitudes de los médicos acerca de las voluntades anticipadas en dos áreas de Andalucía. Comparar los resultados de ambas áreas sanitarias. Comparar los resultados de los médicos de atención primaria y atención especializada. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, transversal, mediante cuestionario autocumplimentado. Emplazamiento. Área Sanitaria Norte de Málaga y Área Sanitaria Norte de Almería. Participantes. Médicos de atención primara y especializada. Mediciones y resultados principales. Conocimientos y actitudes acerca de las voluntades vitales anticipadas (testamentos vitales); 194 médicos respondieron al cuestionario (tasa de respuesta del 63,19%). Media de edad ± desviación típica, 42,54 ± 80,85 años; el 65,5%, varones, y el 33,5%, mujeres. El 51,55%, médicos de atención primaria, y el 48,45%, de especializada. Conclusiones. Hay una actitud favorable hacia la utilidad de las voluntades anticipadas tanto para los familiares del paciente como para los profesionales sanitarios; también hacia su utilización y respeto. Desean manifestar su propia voluntad anticipada aunque no en un futuro cercano. El personal de atención primaria muestra una actitud más favorable hacia las voluntades anticipadas en algunos ítems que el personal de especializada

Objectives. To explore the knowledge and attitudes of physicians towards advance directives in two healthcare areas. To compare the outcomes of both areas. To compare the outcomes of primary healthcare and specialised healthcare. Design. A cross sectional, descriptive study by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Setting. North-Málaga and North-Almería healthcare areas, Spain. Participants. Physicians of primary and specialised healthcare. Measurements and main results. Knowledge and attitudes towards advance directives. 194 (63.19%) questionnaires were filled out by the physicians from both healthcare districts. Mean age (standard deviation) 42.54 (80.85); 65.5% of participants were men and 33.5% were women; 51.55% from primary care and 48.45% from specialised healthcare. Conclusions. Polled physicians revealed a positive attitude towards the usefulness of advance directives for the patient's relatives and for healthcare professionals. They also show a positive attitude towards the use and respect of advance directives. They show a high predisposition to registry their advance directive, but a low predisposition to do so in a short term