[Attitude to incurable disease].
OBJECTIVE
To find the opinions and attitudes of our patients regarding questions of incurable disease and death.


METHODS
A crossover, descriptive study.


METHODS
2 medical clinics and 2 nursing stations at 2 health centres.


METHODS
720 patients between 14 and 90 seeking health-care. Sampling of their appropriateness was performed, with systematic daily questionnaires. Known carriers of cancer or AIDS were excluded, as were those with understanding, communication or hearing problems.


RESULTS
A survey was carried out after a pilot period, using a specially composed questionnaire with seven closed questions. The study period was three months. 60.8% of those questioned would be willing to tell a close family member if the latter had an incurable illness; 60.9% would allow a doctor to do so. 69% would want to be told the truth if they suffered an incurable illness, with 57.3% opting for a doctor as spokesperson. 58.6% would prefer to die at home and 31.3% in hospital. Preference for hospital was unconnected to age or fear of pain. 44% pointed to pain as their greatest fear in an incurable illness, followed by 25.7% whose greatest fear was disability.


CONCLUSIONS
On the whole, our patients seemed favorable to telling the truth about a hypothetical incurable illness, whether their own or a family member's. The majority would prefer to die at home and mainly fear pain.
Fernández Díaz
R
R
Centro de Salud de Otero, Asturias.
Pérez Suárez
M C
MC
Cossío Rodríguez
I
I
Martínez González
P
P
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care; D014342:Truth Disclosure
Actitud ante una enfermedad incurable.