Autonomy in Advanced Chronic Disease

Abstract

The authors question the respect for the principle of autonomy of the patient admitted into intensive care unit, limiting the scope of the question to the chronically ill. A questionnaire was drafted and distributed to 378 chronically ill patients in Hospital de Braga, which intended to assess whether they were informed of the possibility of the need for admission to intensive care, as well as invasive techniques that they might have to be submitted. The results showed that information was clearly insufficient. The scientific literature articles in this area supports that the lack of information is still very common. So, the authors propose improving this communication. Note that, in the context of chronic disease, prompt information of the patient of the future possibility of need for admission into intensive care is the way to ensure respect of their last will. They suggest that the doctor's commitment to respecting the autonomy of the chronically ill is an opportunity for better care.