[Involuntary treatment under guardianship law in psychiatric hospitals in Germany: results of an online survey].

Aim Of The Study: To determine the circumstances of involuntary treatment under the German Civil Code (BGB) in psychiatric hospitals serving a catchment area.

Method: Medical directors of psychiatric hospitals in Germany, including psychiatric departments at general hospitals and university clinics, were interviewed by means of an online survey.

Results: The response rate among the N=397 institutions addressed was 43%.

Unveiling Usage Patterns and Explaining Usage of Symptom Checker Apps: Explorative Longitudinal Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Symptom checker apps (SCA) aim to enable individuals without medical training to classify perceived symptoms and receive guidance on appropriate actions, such as self-care or seeking professional medical attention. However, there is a lack of detailed understanding regarding the contexts in which individuals use SCA and their opinions on these tools.

Objective: This mixed methods study aims to explore the circumstances under which medical laypeople use SCA and to identify which aspects users find noteworthy after using SCA.

[Advance care planning for the end of life: How prepared are homes for adults with disabilities in Bavaria?].

Introduction: Autonomy at the end of life is associated with the ability to make self-determined decisions. The heterogeneous field of inpatient integration assistance poses particular challenges in this context. Advance care planning (ACP) is now available to people with disabilities.

[Advance directives and mental disorders: a practice recommendation of the Commission for Ethics and Law of the German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics].

Background: Since the creation of legal requirements for advance directives by the legislator in 2009, special aspects of their application in the treatment of people with mental illnesses have been discussed.

Goal Of The Paper: Important questions on dealing with advance directives in everyday life will be answered in a practice-oriented manner.

Results: Among other things, this document answers the question of the conditions under which a patient can refuse or consent to hospitalization and treatment in advance, and in particular how to deal with advance directives whose implementation would also affect the rights of third parties.