Huneke Nathan T M, Gupta Rupa, Halder Neel, Chaudhry Nasim
University of Manchester, UK.
J Intellect Disabil. 2012 Dec;16(4):265-74. doi: 10.1177/1744629512462179. Epub 2012 Oct 8.
Patients with learning disabilities are not always involved in decision-making about their medications. This may mean that some patients are unfairly denied of their autonomy. We carried out an audit of current practice concerning consent to treatment in patients with learning disabilities against best practice guidelines. Data were collected via a questionnaire given to a sample of 70 patients with learning disabilities within the Salford catchment area. This questionnaire assessed whether patients were involved in decision-making regarding their medications and whether they were being given enough information to give informed consent. A total of 45 patients completed questionnaires. Overall, the patients' knowledge of their medications was poor, particularly of the proposed duration, possible disadvantages and name of the treatment. It appears that doctors are engaging these patients during consultations and discussing their medications. However, the delivery of this information needs to be improved, and patients' understanding and recall need to be checked more thoroughly.
学习障碍患者在有关其药物治疗的决策中往往未被纳入。这可能意味着一些患者被不公平地剥夺了自主权。我们对照最佳实践指南，对学习障碍患者治疗同意方面的当前做法进行了一次审核。通过向索尔福德集水区内70名学习障碍患者样本发放问卷来收集数据。该问卷评估患者是否参与了有关其药物治疗的决策，以及他们是否获得了足够信息以给出知情同意。共有45名患者完成了问卷。总体而言，患者对其药物的了解很差，尤其是对提议的疗程、可能的副作用和治疗名称。看来医生在会诊时与这些患者进行了交流并讨论了他们的药物治疗。然而，信息的传达需要改进，并且需要更彻底地检查患者的理解和记忆情况。
