Irazú Contreras-Yáñez, Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador-Zubirán (INCMyN-SZ); Interdisciplinary Center of Bioethics, Universidad Panamericana; Mexico City, Mexico
Guillermo A. Guaracha-Basáñez, Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador-Zubirán (INCMyN-SZ), Mexico City, Mexico
América Sánchez- Hernández, Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador-Zubirán (INCMyN-SZ), Mexico City, Mexico
Sara E. Villanueva-Saenz, Interdisciplinary Center of Bioethics, Universidad Panamericana; Law School, Universidad Panamericana. Mexico City, Mexico
Virginia Pascual-Ramos, Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador-Zubirán (INCMyN-SZ); Interdisciplinary Center of Bioethics, Universidad Panamericana; Mexico City, Mexico
Background: Patients’ living wills (LWs) support that clinicians’ decisions are aligned with patients’ wishes. Objective: To investigate an association between perceived unfavorable outcomes (PO) and LW-related knowledge (LWK). Methods: This cross-sectional study was developed in outpatients with rheumatic diseases (RMDs). Patients had the LWK survey, and RMD-related PO survey (RMD-PO) applied. Results: The study included 173 patients. The patient’s perception of LWK was poor. Patients’ perceived probability of needing to go to an emergency care unit, having an infectious disease, becoming an emotional or economic burden to the family, or losing/changing their work was high. The lowest probability was needing hospitalization in an intensive care unit; meanwhile, the probability of death was substantial. Linear regression analysis failed to identify an association between RMD-PO probability and LWK score. Conclusion: Patients with RMDs had poor perceived LWK, which is not influenced by their perceived probability of unfavorable outcomes.
Keywords: wills. Rheumatic diseases. Patient-reported outcomes.
