Social Work Support for People Who Wish to Draft an Advance Directive (AD) in Catalonia (Spain)

Advance Directives have been available in Catalonia since 2000, and medical social workers are responsible for assisting individuals who wish to draft these documents. For this study, the hypothesis was that proactive intervention by medical social workers working with people diagnosed with complex chronic illnesses would increase the number of Advanced Directives. Forty-eight individuals completed the study. The results showed low initial knowledge about Advance Directives but a high level of interest in drafting them once informed. There was high satisfaction with the process and model provided, and with the support provided by the medical social workers. The study confirms that the support provided by medical social workers in drafting Advance Directives was valued by the patients and that proactive involvement facilitates the drafting of the document. Social workers can work with health professionals and administrators to secure a place in this important process.