[The right to die with dignity in an acute-care hospital: a qualitative study].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the perceptions and beliefs of doctors and nurses, and the barriers and facilitators they must address as regards the right to die with dignity in an acute-care hospital, and to consider the applicability of the provisions of Law 2/2010 of 8 April in this respect.


METHODS
A qualitative descriptive study, based on the focus group technique, using discourse analysis of the views of doctors and nurses responsible for the health care of terminal cancer and non-cancer patients in an acute-care hospital.


RESULTS
The results obtained show that there are diverse obstacles to assure the rights of terminal patients, and to ensure the proper performance of their duties by healthcare professionals and institutions. The nature and impact of these difficulties depend on the characteristics of the patients and their families, the health workers involved, the organisation of health care, and cultural factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The study highlights the need to improve the process of communication with patients and their families, to facilitate shared decision making and to establish measures to clarify issues such as palliative sedation and treatment limitation. It is necessary to improve the applicability of the law on living wills and dignified death in non-cancer specialist areas. Further training is needed regarding ethical, spiritual and anthropological aspects of care in these situations.
Departamento de Enfermería, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, Marbella, España. Electronic address: juanamss@hcs.es.
Juana María
JM
Sepúlveda-Sánchez
Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España.
Jose Miguel
JM
Morales-Asencio
Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, España.
Isabel María
IM
Morales-Gil
Departamento de Enfermería, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, Marbella, España.
José Carlos
JC
Canca-Sánchez
Unidad de Investigación, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, Marbella, España.
Eva
E
Crespillo-García
Departamento de Enfermería, Agencia Sanitaria Costa del Sol, Marbella, España.
Eva María
EM
Timonet-Andreu
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012297:Right to Die; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Cuidados paliativos; Derecho a morir; End of life; Final de vida; Health policy and legislation; Investigación cualitativa; Palliative care; Política y legislación; Qualitative research; Right to die