The vote of acute medical inpatients: a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
There may be ethical issues associated with allowing certain inpatients to vote as some may be cognitively impaired. During the 2007 elections in France, we conducted a prospective observational study on voting among hospitalized patients.


METHODS
Patients hospitalized in an Internal Medicine and Geriatric Department on election day were included. The primary outcome was the turnout among registered inpatients, and secondary outcomes were Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and reasons for abstention.


RESULTS
Of 142 inpatients (mean age 73 years), 84 were eligible to vote, and 22 actually voted (turnout 25.2%). Among the voters, 23% had an MMSE score of less than 12; 58% of abstentions were procedure-related.


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, some inpatients did not vote as a result of procedural issues. When patients with severe cognitive impairment vote, there is a potential risk of vote diversion. Voting procedures should be improved to give inpatients easier access to the ballot while protecting them from the risk of fraud.
Bosquet
Antoine
A
APHP, Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Louis Mourier, 178 rue des Renouillers, 92700, Colombes, Université Paris 7, France. antoine.bosquet@lmr.aphp.fr
Medjkane
Amar
A
Voitel-Warneke
Dorit
D
Vinceneux
Philippe
P
Mahé
Isabelle
I
D002961:Civil Rights / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005602:France; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D007326:Institutionalization; D007882:Legislation, Hospital; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D011057:Politics; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019727:Proxy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires