부산대학교 도서관

Introduction: Living Wills Document is one of the main documental manifestations of the Principle of Respecting person’s Autonomy in today’s Principialist Bioethics, that drives relationship between patiens and health care professionals in occidental modern democratic societies. In this Theses, authonomy, human dignity, person concepts and today’s Bioethics are analised in their anthropologic, historic and phylosophal bases. Also, reasoning, contents and legislation about Living Wills Documents in Catalonia, other territories in Spain and other coutries are exposed. Studies’ results about Living Wills Document’s knowledge among catalan’s population and other territories are shown, and the results of several promotional campaigns conducted by the Administration or privates organisms are also analised. Qualitative analysis objectives: To analize the procedures to elaborate, registration and consult of the Living Will Document instructions in Catalonia and in other Spain’s autonomic communities and other European and North-American countries, and in Oceania and Japan. Quantitative analysis objectives: To study the number of Living Wills Documents registered in the different countries analised, and to know the Documents’ per 100.000 inhabitants registered Index, and its evolution during the most recent years. Results: Living Wills Document is a necessary and useful tool to respect patients’ human dignity when they cannot express their own wills about diagnostic and treatment options. Catalonia is the spanish community that has the higher Living Wills Document registered Index per 100.000 inhabitants, but is far from indexs found in other countries and catalan law is partiallly obsolete. Conclussions: A profound update in catalan’s Living Wills Document can be necessary, in its redaction and in registry procedures, in conditions of accessing to its content and in the possibilities of meeting its instructions by health professionals. Acting proposals: Some actions are proposed, to rise the actual Living Wills Documents’ index per 100.000 inhabitants i Catalonia and to increase its effective utilisation among health professionals, classified in 5 acting ambits: 1. To hierarchy Bioethics’ Principles affecting Living Wills Document; 2. Proposing some specific modifications in catalan Living Wills Document’s structure and contents; 3. Improving proposals in declaration and registration proceedings in Catalonia; 4. Some proposals to increase the frequency of consultation and to meet the Living Wills Document instructions by health professionals in Catalonia, both public or private health professionals; and 5. Public diffussion proposals of the Living Wills Document and to promote its redaction and registration among catalan people.