Gaceta sanitaria
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Comparative Study
[Temporal trend in understanding of and attitudes to advance directives in patients with chronic diseases].
To describe patients' degree of knowledge about their diseases and advance directives, as well as their willingness to write these documents, among patients with chronic diseases seen in the emergency department. ⋯ Patients with chronic diseases showed greater understanding of their disease in the second period but awareness of advance directives and willingness to write these documents remained low. Information on these issues should be improved as an essential part of the physician-patient relationship.