Josafat F. Martínez-Magaña, Servicio de Medicina Interna y Geriatría, Hospital General Dr. Gaudencio González Garza, Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Ciudad de México, México
Cynthia D. Medina-Peralta, Servicio de Medicina Interna y Geriatría, Hospital General Dr. Gaudencio González Garza, Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS), Ciudad de México, México
Hugo E. Mercado-Flores, Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital General de Zona con Medicina Familiar No. 10, IMSS, Nayarit, México
Jessica Camacho-Ruíz, Admisión Continua, Órgano de Operación Administrativa Desconcentrada CDMX Sur, Unidad de Medicina Familiar No. 28, IMSS, Ciudad de México, México
Introduction: Advance directives are a set of instructions that a person requests to be subjected or not to medical procedures against a potentially life-threatening illness. The advance directives document (ADD) is an instrument in which an adult expresses their advance directives. Palliative care (PC) is the care that is given to patients, as well as family members, with signs and symptoms related to a life-threatening illness. The prevalence of awareness of the ADD in older adults in PC is unknown. Objective: To determine the prevalence of awareness of the ADD in older adults in need of PC. Method: Cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study in patients ≥ 70 years in PC. Awareness of the existence of the ADD was obtained by direct question. The need for PC was identified using the NECPAL criteria. The statistical analysis consisted in univariate analysis. Results: Three of 113 patients (2.7%) were aware of the existence of the ADD. Conclusions: There is a low prevalence of awareness of ADD.
Keywords: Advance directives. Aged. Palliative care. Cross-sectional studies.