Dissemination of advanced directives as a tool to promote health in death and grief / La difusión del documento de voluntades anticipadas como una herramienta de promoción de la salud en muerte y duelo

Abstract

Basing ourselves on the assumption that healthy deaths are associated with healthy grieving processes, we proposed using Advance Directives (ADs) as a tool to promote health in death and grief. The sample from the general population for the study was recruited through four community associations, from which we convened people who wished to make an AD. The sample from health professionals was collected through two palliative care teams and five health centres, with the stated objective of informing them about ADs and to ‘learn by doing’. These samples were put into groups and two sessions were held with each group: one session was to present ADs and the other was to formalize them. In one year, 111 people from 10 groups from the general population participated, and 102 (92%) of those formalized an AD. In six months, 140 professionals from seven groups from the health system collaborated. We conclude that disseminating ADs in a general population is possible through community associations and that the role played by the health system is yet to be clarified.