RT Article
T1 Managing ethical aspects of advance directives in emergency care services
JF Nursing ethics
VO 28
IS 1
SP 91
OP 105
A1 Poveda-Moral, Silvia
A1 Rodríguez-Martín, Dolors
A1 Codern-Bové, Núria
A1 José-María, Pilar
A1 Sánchez-Valero, Pere
A1 Pomares-Quintana, Núria
A1 Vicente-García, Mireia
A1 Falcó-Pegueroles, Anna
LA English
PB Sage
YR 2021
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1748058053
AB Background:In Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services professionals experience situations in which they face difficulties or barriers to know patient’s advance directives and implement them.Objectives:To analyse the barriers, facilitators, and ethical conflicts perceived by health professionals derived from the management of advance directives in emergency services.Research design, participants, and context:This is a qualitative phenomenological study conducted with purposive sampling including a population of nursing and medical professionals linked to Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services. Three focus groups were formed, totalling 24 participants. We performed an inductive-type thematic discourse analysis.Ethical considerations:This study was approved by ethical committees of Ethical Commitee of Clínic Hospital (Barcelona) and Comittee of Emergency Medical Services (Barcelona). The participants received information about the purpose of the study. Patients’ anonymity and willingness to participate in the study were guaranteed.Findings:There were four types of barriers that hindered the proper management of patients’ advance directives in Hospital Emergency Department and Emergency Medical Services: personal and professional, family members, organisational and structural, and those derived from the health system. These barriers caused ethical conflicts and hindered professionals’ decision-making.Discussion:These results are in line with those of previous studies and indicate that factors such as gender, professional category, and years of experience, in addition to professionals’ beliefs and the opinions of colleagues and family members, can also influence the professionals’ final decisions.Conclusion:The different strategies described in this study can contribute to the development of health policies and action protocols to help reduce both the barriers that hinder the correct management and implementation of advance directives and the ethical conflicts generated.
K1 ethical conflicts
K1 Emergency services
K1 Barriers
K1 Advance Directives
DO 10.1177/0969733020952112