Week 4 Discussion Response- Law and Ethics in Healthcare

Law and Ethics in Healthcare

Week 4 Discussion

Advance Directive-Interview

The term “advance directive” refers to several different types of legal documents that may be used by a patient, while competent, to record future wishes in the event the patient lacks decision-making capacity. The choice and meaning of specific advance directive terminology depends on state law. An advance directive or healthcare directive may combine the functions of a living will and durable power of attorney for health care into one document in one state but may be equivalent to a living will in another state.

Through advance directives, individuals can communicate to family members and healthcare providers what treatment options they find acceptable or unacceptable should they become unable to make these decisions later on. As useful as these documents are, they are not always well understood by the public.

For this Discussion, you will interview someone who has not yet completed an advance directive regarding end-of-life planning. Be prepared to explain the purpose and benefit of an advance directive document. You can find your own state’s laws by going to the CaringInfo website listed in the Learning Resources.

To prepare for this Discussion:

· Review the description of advance directives in the Learning Resources.

· Download and print an advance directive form that is valid in your state. A link to these forms is available at the following webpage:

· CaringInfo. (n.d.).  Download and complete your state or territories’ advance directive form Links to an external site. . http://www.caringinfo.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3289

· Identify an individual you can interview in person about advance directives. This may be a friend, family member, or other acquaintance that has not yet completed an advance directive form.

· Sit down with this person and invite them to read the form and consider completing it. It does not matter whether the person actually does so or not. Take notes on any questions the person asks, whether they understand the purpose of the form, whether they think the form is a useful way of dealing with future health care issues, and other key points and concerns expressed during the interview.

Post your Discussion, to include the following:

· Analyze the ways in which an advance directive might support a patient’s legal and ethical rights and the impact an advance directive might have on end-of-life care from the perspective of healthcare providers and organizations.

· Considering the interview you conducted, describe any questions, comments, or concerns your interviewee expressed regarding how an advance directive supports their legal and ethical rights.

· Apply the ACHE policy for end-of-life planning for patients. Also include a description of the legal standards and basic ethical principles that may apply.

· Based on the interview you conducted, evaluate how healthcare providers can be more effective in their communication with patients on preparing an advance directive.

Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.

Advance Directive Interview

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Advance Directive Interview

Advance directives are legal documents that enable competent persons to make their decisions about health care if they are no longer able to make their own decisions. These documents maintain a patient's legal right to autonomy and self-determination and thus ensure that personal values are reflected in the provision of end-of-life care when the person cannot speak for himself or herself. Advance directives decrease uncertainty, lessen ethical dilemmas, can help ensure care is provided in line with patients' wishes, and can enhance the quality of end-of-life decision-making for healthcare providers and organizations (Pozgar, 2024).

To gain insight into public knowledge about advance directives, an interview was conducted with one neighbor, Maria, who had never completed an advance directive form, and was the age of 45 at the time. CaringInfo (n.d.) provided Maria with her State's advance directive form. Reading the document, she said she was astonished at the detail that's needed, saying that she had never thought of writing about preferences for artificial nutrition or mechanical ventilation. She worried whether her family would keep to the agreement and wondered if it would be best to have it signed, since it could involve family feuds. Maria also said she never had anyone from the healthcare community ask her about advance care planning, adding to her lack of understanding about it.

Healthcare organizations have a role to play in educating patients about end-of-life options and making sure advance directives are available, honored, and part of the patient's care plan, says the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE, 2014). The moral principles of autonomy, beneficence and nonmaleficence are being upheld. All states have some type of advance directive, with specific terms and requirements, legally (CaringInfo, n.d.). Providers should be aware of state laws to make sure patient paperwork is valid and binding.

The interview process with Maria showed there was a disconnect between provider and patient when it comes to a discussion of advance care planning. By starting the discussion early, avoiding medical jargon, considering the family context, and promoting advance care planning as a natural part of preventive care instead of a crisis situation, healthcare providers can enhance their effectiveness. Discussing advance directives at annual wellness visits would be expected to boost completion rates, and would also help to ensure that patients' legal and ethical rights are respected (American Medical Association [AMA], n.d.).

References

American College of Healthcare Executives. (2014, November). Decisions near the end of life. https://www.ache.org/about-ache/our-story/our-commitments/ethics/ache-code-of-ethics/end-of-life

American Medical Association. (n.d.). Chapter 5: Caring for patients at the end of life. In Code of Medical Ethics. https://code-medical-ethics.ama-assn.org/chapters/caring-patients-end-life

CaringInfo. (n.d.). Advance directives. https://www.caringinfo.org/planning/advance-directives/

Pozgar, G. D. (2024). Legal and ethical issues for health professionals (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Law and Ethics in Healthcare

Week 4 Discussion

Advance Directive-Interview

The term “advance directive” refers to several different types of legal documents that may be used by a patient, while competent, to record future wishes in the event the patient lacks decision-making capacity. The choice and meaning of specific advance directive terminology depends on state law. An advance directive or healthcare directive may combine the functions of a living will and durable power of attorney for health care into one document in one state but may be equivalent to a living will in another state.

Through advance directives, individuals can communicate to family members and healthcare providers what treatment options they find acceptable or unacceptable should they become unable to make these decisions later on. As useful as these documents are, they are not always well understood by the public.

For this Discussion, you will interview someone who has not yet completed an advance directive regarding end-of-life planning. Be prepared to explain the purpose and benefit of an advance directive document. You can find your own state’s laws by going to the CaringInfo website listed in the Learning Resources.

To prepare for this Discussion:

· Review the description of advance directives in the Learning Resources.

· Download and print an advance directive form that is valid in your state. A link to these forms is available at the following webpage:

· CaringInfo. (n.d.).  Download and complete your state or territories’ advance directive form Links to an external site. . http://www.caringinfo.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3289

· Identify an individual you can interview in person about advance directives. This may be a friend, family member, or other acquaintance that has not yet completed an advance directive form.

· Sit down with this person and invite them to read the form and consider completing it. It does not matter whether the person actually does so or not. Take notes on any questions the person asks, whether they understand the purpose of the form, whether they think the form is a useful way of dealing with future health care issues, and other key points and concerns expressed during the interview.

Post your Discussion, to include the following:

· Analyze the ways in which an advance directive might support a patient’s legal and ethical rights and the impact an advance directive might have on end-of-life care from the perspective of healthcare providers and organizations.

· Considering the interview you conducted, describe any questions, comments, or concerns your interviewee expressed regarding how an advance directive supports their legal and ethical rights.

· Apply the ACHE policy for end-of-life planning for patients. Also include a description of the legal standards and basic ethical principles that may apply.

· Based on the interview you conducted, evaluate how healthcare providers can be more effective in their communication with patients on preparing an advance directive.

Support your response by identifying and explaining key points and/or examples presented in the Learning Resources.