TY - JOUR
T1 - Healthcare professionals’ perceptions about the Italian law on advance directives
AU - Maffoni, Marina
AU - Argentero, Piergiorgio
AU - Giorgi, Ines
AU - Giardini, Anna
N1 - Funding Information:
An understanding of the healthcare providers’ perspective may support the discussion on advance directives and bridge the gaps that currently persist in handling ethical issues. Advance directives Grounded Theory healthcare professionals Italy law "Ricerca Corrente" funding scheme of the Ministry of Health, Italy" edited-state corrected-proof Authors’ Note The present study is part of the research project WeDistress HELL (WEllness and DISTRESS in HEalth care professionals dealing with end of Life and bioethicaL issues), Ethical Committee of ICS Maugeri - Institute of Pavia, Protocol N0. 2211CE).
Funding Information:
The researchers gratefully thank the ICS Maugeri Palliative Care Unit of Pavia, via Boezio, under the direction of Dr Pietro Ferrari, for allowing staff to be interviewed and express their opinions upon so delicate and important issue. Conflict of interest The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article. Funding The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This work was (partially) supported by “Ricerca Corrente”, funding scheme of Ministry of Health, Italy. ORCID iD Marina Maffoni https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3360-7293
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2019.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/5/1
Y1 - 2020/5/1
N2 - Background: In the variegated legislative framework on advance directives, the first specific regulation in Italy on this issue came into force only in 2018. Research objective: This qualitative study aimed to investigate the implications of the new Italian law on advance directives in clinical practice from the perspective of those who deal with this delicate ethical issue on an everyday basis, that is, Italian healthcare professionals. Research design: A qualitative research design using semi-structured audio-recorded interviews was adopted. The data collection and analysis were performed according to the Grounded Theory approach. Participants: Nineteen healthcare professionals (16 nurses, 3 physicians) working in a palliative care unit of a research and clinical institute in Italy. Ethical considerations: The study is part of the WeDistress HELL Project (WEllness and DISTRESS in HEalth care professionals dealing with end of Life and bioethicaL issues) approved by the Ethical Committee of ICS Maugeri - Institute of Pavia (Italy). Findings: The authors identified a main overall category, ‘Pros and Cons of the Italian law on advance directives’, composed of six constituent categories: Positive welcome, Self-determination and protection, Prompts for future betterment, Uncertainties, Lack of knowledge, and Neutrality and no suggestions. Discussion: The Italian law n. 219/2017 on advance directives was seen as a legal instrument possessing both strengths and weaknesses, but able to guarantee the patient’s self-determination and support healthcare professionals in providing care according to patients’ wishes. Conclusion: An understanding of the healthcare providers’ perspective may support the discussion on advance directives and bridge the gaps that currently persist in handling ethical issues.
AB - Background: In the variegated legislative framework on advance directives, the first specific regulation in Italy on this issue came into force only in 2018. Research objective: This qualitative study aimed to investigate the implications of the new Italian law on advance directives in clinical practice from the perspective of those who deal with this delicate ethical issue on an everyday basis, that is, Italian healthcare professionals. Research design: A qualitative research design using semi-structured audio-recorded interviews was adopted. The data collection and analysis were performed according to the Grounded Theory approach. Participants: Nineteen healthcare professionals (16 nurses, 3 physicians) working in a palliative care unit of a research and clinical institute in Italy. Ethical considerations: The study is part of the WeDistress HELL Project (WEllness and DISTRESS in HEalth care professionals dealing with end of Life and bioethicaL issues) approved by the Ethical Committee of ICS Maugeri - Institute of Pavia (Italy). Findings: The authors identified a main overall category, ‘Pros and Cons of the Italian law on advance directives’, composed of six constituent categories: Positive welcome, Self-determination and protection, Prompts for future betterment, Uncertainties, Lack of knowledge, and Neutrality and no suggestions. Discussion: The Italian law n. 219/2017 on advance directives was seen as a legal instrument possessing both strengths and weaknesses, but able to guarantee the patient’s self-determination and support healthcare professionals in providing care according to patients’ wishes. Conclusion: An understanding of the healthcare providers’ perspective may support the discussion on advance directives and bridge the gaps that currently persist in handling ethical issues.
KW - Advance directives
KW - Grounded Theory
KW - healthcare professionals
KW - Italy
KW - law
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U2 - 10.1177/0969733019878831
DO - 10.1177/0969733019878831
M3 - Article
C2 - 31631774
AN - SCOPUS:85074441492
VL - 27
SP - 796
EP - 808
JO - Nursing Ethics
JF - Nursing Ethics
SN - 0969-7330
IS - 3
ER -