Abstract

DIAZ JURADO, Maribel; SIMAL VELEZ, Nieves; SALILLAS ADOT, Esther  and  JULVE IBANE, Maricel. Approaches to the Principle of Autonomy in dialysis treatment: Informed Consent and Living Will. Rev Soc Esp Enferm Nefrol [online]. 2009, vol.12, n.3, pp.184-188. ISSN 1139-1375.

At present, the principle of autonomy seeks to provide the framework for relations between healthcare professionals and patients in the context of their care. Currently, the expression of the principle of the patient's autonomy in decisions concerning his or her treatment is materialized in the Informed Consent and Living Will. The aim of this work is to verify what knowledge terminal chronic renal insufficiency patients undergoing dialysis in our hospital have, with regard to Informed Consent and the Living Will and to know whether patients consider themselves to be well-informed about the state of their health at the start of their kidney disease and at present. A retrospective, observational and descriptive study of 55 patients of our service. The results show that Informed Consent is unknown to the majority of the patients and that the Living Will is not part of the information they receive. The information received at the start of treatment is satisfactory in the case of all the patients. At present, patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis are more satisfied and have also had the possibility of choosing their treatment. Patients on haemodialysis would like greater autonomy in the decisions concerning their treatment.

Keywords : principle of autonomy; informed consent; living will; renal insufficiency; dialysis.

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