title: The vote of acute medical inpatients: a prospective study.
abstract: 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.
authors: APHP, Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Louis Mourier, 178 rue des Renouillers, 92700, Colombes, Université Paris 7, France. antoine.bosquet@lmr.aphp.fr
authors: Antoine
authors: A
authors: Bosquet
authors: Amar
authors: A
authors: Medjkane
authors: Dorit
authors: D
authors: Voitel-Warneke
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Vinceneux
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Mahé
mesh_terms: 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