Department of Geriatric Medicine, Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
University College Cork, College Road, Cork, Ireland Email:
Med Leg J. 2022 Sep;90(3):129-133. doi: 10.1177/00258172221083444. Epub 2022 May 27.
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 provides a legislative framework for advance healthcare directives in Ireland. This study assessed Irish consultant physicians' knowledge of the provisions of the Act relating to advance healthcare directives, and their attitudes towards advance healthcare directives in general.
Data were collected between May and October 2016. A questionnaire was distributed to all consultant physicians listed in the Irish Medical Directory under general internal medicine specialties. True/false questions assessed knowledge of the provisions of the Act. Likert-type questions assessed attitudes towards advance healthcare directives.
The overall response rate was 28.7% (238/830). Only 42.1% of respondents were aware of the provisions of the Act relating to advance healthcare directives. Of the seven questions that assessed knowledge of those provisions, the mean score was 3.31/7.78.7% agreed that advance healthcare directives are helpful when making treatment decisions for incapacitated patients. Only 15.7% regularly advise their patients to create advance healthcare directives.
Irish physicians are broadly supportive of advance healthcare directives but there are deficiencies in their knowledge of the law relating to them. Efforts should be made to educate physicians regarding the provisions of the Act prior to its commencement.
《2015 年辅助决策（能力）法案》为爱尔兰的预先医疗指示提供了立法框架。本研究评估了爱尔兰顾问医师对该法案中与预先医疗指示相关条款的了解程度，以及他们对预先医疗指示的普遍态度。
数据收集于 2016 年 5 月至 10 月之间。向爱尔兰医学目录中内科专业下列出的所有顾问医师分发了问卷。是非题评估了对法案条款的了解程度。李克特量表评估了对预先医疗指示的态度。
总体回应率为 28.7%（238/830）。只有 42.1%的受访者了解与预先医疗指示相关的法案条款。在评估这些条款的知识的七个问题中，平均得分为 3.31/7.78。7%的人同意预先医疗指示在为无行为能力患者做出治疗决策时很有帮助。只有 15.7%的人定期建议患者制定预先医疗指示。
爱尔兰医生普遍支持预先医疗指示，但对与之相关的法律知识存在不足。在该法案生效之前，应努力向医生提供有关该法案条款的教育。
