States generally allow a person (principal) to appoint another person (agent) to make health care decisions, receive protected health information, or both on the principal’s behalf. In many states, ...

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: SCOTT D. HALPERN, GEORGE LOEWENSTEIN, KEVIN G. VOLPP, ELIZABETH COONEY, KELLY VRANAS, CAROLINE M. QUILL, MARY S. MCKENZIE, MICHAEL O. HARHAY ...

Advance health care directives are legal documents that outline a person’s preferences for medical treatment in case they are unable to communicate those decisions themselves. These directives not ...

Older adults with advance directives that were documented in electronic health records (EHRs) showed a lower likelihood of receiving burdensome end-of-life care and had lower rates of in-hospital ...

There are two types of advance directive documents: a living will and a medical power of attorney. Both protect your ability to make decisions about your future medical care in the event that you ...

Every April 16, National Healthcare Decisions Day serves as a critical reminder: While we can’t always control the turbulence of life, we can prepare for a smooth landing. Whenever I fly, I’m reminded ...

The 2023 UHCDA is intended to supersede its predecessor, the 1993 Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act (1993 Act). The 1993 Act acknowledged the right of an individual to make decisions about their own ...

Most California residents know about the advanced healthcare directive, but very few have heard about the psychiatric advanced healthcare directive or PAD. The PAD is a standalone health care ...

You never know when a health crisis can happen. It could be a car accident or a sudden serious illness. In an emergency, you might end up in a situation where you are unable to speak for yourself.

Advance directives document patient preferences for future care, including end-of-life. An analysis in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that older patients with an advance ...