Living wills fail to capture patients' end-of-life care wishes because they do not ask about the real-life scenarios patients are likely to face as they get close to death, according to a new study. "This study points out that if you talk to people in more detail, there's more nuance to their decisions than just results from a simple question about what they want in a living will document," said Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Palliative Medicine and provost of the Institute for Palliative Medicine at San Diego Hospice. The study is online and comes on the heels of previous research showing that living wills and other advance directives often do not explicitly cover the full spectrum of clinical realities patients face as they die. Am Med News
Editor: It is for this reason that Baptists for Life recommends naming a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. See our Protective Medical Decisions Declaration.
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