ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Modification of legal capacity is a protective measure involving a judicial procedure; a deeper understanding of this concept is necessary for its execution in such vulnerable populations as patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Unawareness of a patient's legal capacity and failure to adequately protect them may give rise to situations of avoidable risk. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We designed a closed survey for informal caregivers of patients with AD, the general population, medical students, and healthcare professionals to determine the degree of understanding of the concept of modified legal capacity. RESULTS: The survey was administered to a total of 401 individuals: 100 caregivers, 117 members of the general population, 128 medical students, and 58 healthcare professionals. Women accounted for 66.1% of the sample (n=265); mean age (SD) was 43.2 (0.9) years. The overall mean survey score was 7.7 (0.9). By group, caregivers scored 7.5 (0.18), the general population scored 6.9 (0.16), students scored 8.4 (0.17), and healthcare professionals scored 8.7 (0.20) (P=.000). Of all respondents, 78.8% had not received information on legal issues related to dementia. Among students, no significant differences in survey score were observed between members of different years (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a low level of understanding of modified legal capacity and of the legislation governing issues related to cognitive impairment among caregivers, the general population, and even medical students. It is important to design strategies to improve understanding of the concept, particularly among future healthcare professionals.
