+44-1518-081136Promoting patients’ rights at the end of life in a geriatric setting in France: The healthcare professionals’ level of knowledge about surrogate decision-makers and advance directives
Joint Event on International Conference on Palliative Care, Obstetrics and Gynecology & International Conference on Stroke and Clinical Trials
February 28-March 01, 2019 | Paris, France
Jean Paul Rwabihama
University of Rwanda, Rwanda
Posters & Accepted Abstracts : Res Rep Gynaecol Obstet
Abstract:
Objective: To assess levels of knowledge about patients’ rights,
surrogate decision-makers, and advance directives among
healthcare professionals at three hospitals in France.
Design: A multicenter, cross-sectional study.
Setting and Subjects: Acute care, post-acute care, and long-term
care units in three geriatric hospitals in the Paris area (France).
Between March and June 2015, all healthcare professionals in
these units were invited to participate in the study.
Methods: The participants’ level of knowledge was assessed
via an 18-item self-questionnaire on surrogate decisionmakers,
advance directives, and end-of-life decision-making.
Participants who correctly answered 14 or more of the 18
questions (≥75%) were considered to have met the primary
endpoint. The characteristics associated with a good level of
knowledge were assessed using logistic regression.
Results: Among the 301 healthcare professionals (median
± standard deviation age: 40.4 ± 10.2 years; women: 73.4%),
only 15.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): [19.7-29.5]) correctly
answered at least 75% of the questions on patients’ rights.
Respectively 24.6%; [19.7-29.5]), 37.5% [32.0-43.0]) and 36.5%
[31.1-42.0]) had sufficient knowledge regarding “surrogate
decision-maker”, “advance directives” and “decision-making
at the end of life”. In a multivariable analysis, the only factor
significantly associated with a good level of knowledge about
end-of-life policy was employment in a university hospital, with
a non-significant trend for status as a physician.
Conclusions: Our survey of staff working in geriatric care
units highlighted the poor overall level of knowledge about
healthcare surrogates and advance directives; the results
suggest that additional training in these concepts is required.
Biography:
E-mail:
jean-paul.rwabihama@aphp.frPDF HTML