Document Advance Care Directives
BWH honors patients’ wishes and decisions concerning medical care, including the right to accept or refuse medical or surgical treatment in ambulatory and inpatient settings.
Educating and documenting advance care directives is a jointly held responsibility among physicians, nurses, social workers and administrative and clerical staff. Random audits performed during the past several months indicate that documentation compliance in this area could be improved. All clinical staff should review the advance care directive policy, available at www.bwhpikenotes.org/HospitalwidePoliciesAndManuals/AdministrativePolicyManual/VIII-4.doc
All health care providers should reassess the patient’s goals for treatment and provide opportunity for ongoing discussion between patients and the health care team.
Two forms of advance care directives are the healthcare proxy, which identifies a substitute decision maker in the event the patient is unable to make health care decisions for himself or herself, and the living will, which allows adult patients to communicate their wishes regarding health care and treatment to their providers.