From the challenge of assessing autonomy to the instruments used in practice: a scoping review

Abstract

Antecedents: Autonomy is one of the essential components to live a quality life. Monitoring this autonomy is, in effect, essential, to allow the nurses to conceive, implement and evaluate interventions aimed at its promotion or even maintenance. For this reason, this scoping review aims to map the evidence to identify and analyze the instruments used to assess the person’s autonomy, which emerges from scientific production. Methods: Scoping review based on the recommended principles by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The research was realized in the databases: Scopus (excluding MEDLINE), CINAHL complete (via EBSCO, Excluding MEDLINE), and MEDLINE (via PubMed). Two independent reviewers evaluated the articles’ pertinence for the study’s investigation, the extraction, and synthesis of articles. Results:After the analysis, according to the inclusion criteria established, 34 articles were selected, allude to 7 different instruments to assess autonomy. Conclusions: The need for further development at this level is highlighted, namely through the construction and validation of more comprehensive instruments, integrating the different components of the concept of autonomy.