title: [Medical prescription and informed consent for the use of physical restraints in nursing homes in the Canary Islands (Spain)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the frequency of completion of informed consent and medical prescription in the clinical records of older patients subject to physical restraint, and to analyse the association between patient characteristics and the absence of such documentation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional and descriptive multicentre study with direct observation and review of clinical records was conducted in nine public nursing homes, comprising 1,058 beds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  274 residents were physically restrained. Informed consent was not included in 82.5% of cases and was incomplete in a further 13.9%. There was no medical prescription in 68.3% of cases and it was incomplete in a further 12.0%. The only statistical association found was between the lack of prescription and the patients' advanced age (PR=1.03; p <0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Failure to produce this documentation contravenes the law. Organisational characteristics, ignorance of the legal requirements or the fact that some professionals may consider physical restraint to be a risk-free procedure may explain these results.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España.
authors.forename: Gabriel J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Estévez-Guerra
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermería, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, España. Electronic address: emilio.farina@ulpgc.es.
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fariña-López
authors.affiliation: Laboratori d'Estadística Aplicada, Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Penelo
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D032962:Consent Forms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D007326:Institutionalization; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D055656:Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013030:Spain
keywords: Aged; Anciano; Consentimiento informado; Informed consent; Instituciones residenciales; Nursing homes; Physical restraint; Prescripciones; Prescriptions; Restricción física