[Knowledge of the law of patient autonomy by medical and nursing staff involved in the surgical process].
OBJECTIVE
To study the extent to which the Law of Patient Autonomy (LAP) is known by the medical and nursing staff of the surgical areas from the two university hospitals in Seville.


METHODS
Cross sectional study, obtained in July 2008 from a survey prepared by Hospital Virgen Macarena (HVM) staff and reviewed by an expert (lawyer) from the Ministry of Health of the Autonomous Government of Andalusia. Sixty three out of one hundred professionals (doctors, nurses and nursing assistants) of the surgical area of the HVM and Virgen del Rocio (HVR) hospitals participated in the survey. We performed a frequency analysis of responses to the questions and applied the chi-square test to determine whether there were differences in knowledge depending on the hospital, professional status and sex.


RESULTS
Nearly seventy per cent of the participants (44) acknowledged to have made no attempt to learn the law, whereas only 14.3% (9) knew of some sort of hospital action to publicise the law. No significant difference in the knowledge of the law was found between the professionals of each hospital, while the level of knowledge was very modest in both places. However, we found a statistically significant difference in the personal initiative to learn about the LAP, depending on professional status, with the highest percentage being in nurses (P=0.05) and the lowest in doctors.


CONCLUSIONS
For the implementation of the LAP in the hospitals, health personnel must have knowledge of it. This requires a commitment by hospitals directors and managers, as well as the people responsible for the different services.
Fernández-Garrido
Carmen
C
Servicio de Información Periquirúrgica, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, Sevilla, España. mcfernandez_7@hotmail.com
Lopera-Uribe
Gloria Elena
GE
Méndez-Pérez
Laura
L
Otero-Espiga
Aída
A
Gallardo-Abril
María Gracia
MG
Lagoa-Elías
Concepción
C
D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007878:Legislation as Topic; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires