Abstract
Objective:
To evaluate the decision-making process in patients, adults, and the elderly, who have undergone invasive medical procedures.
Methods:
A cross-sectional, quantitative study, conducted over a period of 14 months, including 300 inpatients aged over 18 years old, divided into adults and elderly, and by sex, who had undergone invasive medical procedures. The Moral-Psychological Development tool was used to evaluate their decision-making capacity.
Results:
A statistically significant difference was identified in the level of education of adults in relation to the elderly (P=0.0001), where adults had more years of study than the elderly. Only two participants did not demonstrate the ability to make decisions in their best interest.
Conclusion:
The results demonstrate the importance of involving elderly patients in decision-making about their medical treatment. Therefore, it is fundamental to develop strategies that properly reach this population, enabling autonomy and also self-determination in this stage of life.
Keywords
Aging; Aged; Personal autonomy; Decision making; Vulnerable populations; Invasive surgical procedures