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| Research article summary (published 30 Jul 2009): |
The vote of acute medical inpatients: a prospective study.
Full Abstract
OBJECTIVE: There may be ethical issues associated with allowing certain inpatients to vote as some may be cognitively impaired. During the 2007 elections in France, we conducted a prospective observational study on voting among hospitalized patients. METHOD: Patients hospitalized in an Internal Medicine and Geriatric Department on election day were included. The primary outcome was the turnout among registered inpatients, and secondary outcomes were Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and reasons for abstention. RESULTS: Of 142 inpatients (mean age 73 years), 84 were eligible to vote, and 22 actually voted (turnout 25.2%). Among the voters, 23% had an MMSE score of less than 12; 58% of abstentions were procedure-related. DISCUSSION: In our study, some inpatients did not vote as a result of procedural issues. When patients with severe cognitive impairment vote, there is a potential risk of vote diversion. Voting procedures should be improved to give inpatients easier access to the ballot while protecting them from the risk of fraud.
Author information
Author/s: Bosquet, Antoine (A); Medjkane, Amar (A); Voitel-Warneke, Dorit (D); Vinceneux, Philippe (P); Mahé, Isabelle (I);
Affiliation: APHP, Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Louis Mourier, 178 rue des Renouillers, 92700, Colombes, Université Paris 7, France. antoine.bosquet(-atsign-)lmr.aphp.fr
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article
Journal: Journal of aging and health (J Aging Health), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2009-Aug; vol 21 (issue 5) : pp 699-712
Dates: Created 2009/07/08; Completed 2009/07/31;
PMID: 19584412, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 8/20/2009, IMS Date: )
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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