Health Care Advance Directives, Essay Example

Introduction

In America, patients have the right to give instructions regarding their own healthcare. They can also name somebody else to make decisions on their behalf. The regulations and legal background are provided by the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) (1999). It offers guidelines and policies regarding the treatments, the right to health care and decisions to be made regarding procedures involving risk. These health care advance directives will be detailed and analyzed below.

Ethical Considerations

According to Doukas and Reichel (2007, p. 1.) advance health directives are providing patients with the right to make a decision based on the risks and benefits of the treatment. It enables them to accept or reject the treatment according to their preference. Ensuring that all patients are able to make an informed decision based on the information provided by the health care organization is essential. While euthanasia is not in use in America, every patient has the right to decide whether or not they would like to take on a treatment that might have an impact on their long term health and only deliver limited benefits. A health care provider needs to ensure that all the advance directives are obtained as soon as possible and the legal guidelines are followed. However, providing adequate and clear information about the length and possible outcome of the treatment is an ethical issue to be taken seriously.

Health Care Organizations and Regulation

In health care, according to Krohm and Summers (2002, p. 157.) advance health care provisions are one of the main compliance areas of organizations providing long- or short-term treatments. While the regulations only say that directives need to be obtained at the point of contact by Medicare and Medicaid-funded hospitals (p. 157.), it is still a part of the admission process in most of the providers.

Living Will

A living will is important because it provides health care providers a clear instruction on whether the patient wants their lives prolonged in case they were affected by a long term critical illness or were unconscious for a long term. The patient is able to opt out from individual treatments if there is no realistic chance for recovery and they are unable to provide instructions for the doctor in person due to their condition.

Durable Power of Attorney

A health care power of attorney provides patients with the option to entrust a relative or friend to make health-related decisions on their behalf, should they be unable to do so. Some patients choose this option, as it applies even when the patient is not terminally ill. It covers temporary unconsciousness, but only comes to effect when the patient is unable to make their health related decisions.

References

Doukas, D. & Reichel, W. (2007) Planning for Uncertainty: Living Wills and Other Advance Directives for You and Your Family. Web. Google eBook.

Krohm, C. & Summers, S. (2002) Advance Health Care Directives: A Handbook for Professionals. American Bar Association, 2002. Web. Google eBook.