Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- Section I Information problems
- Section II End of life care
- Introduction
- 8 Quality end of life care
- 9 Substitute decision making
- 10 Advance care planning
- 11 Euthanasia and assisted suicide
- 12 Conflict in the healthcare setting at the end of life
- 13 Brain death
- Section III Pregnant women and children
- Section IV Genetics and biotechnology
- Section V Research ethics
- Section VI Health systems and institutions
- Section VII Using clinical ethics to make an impact in healthcare
- Section VIII Global health ethics
- Section IX Religious and cultural perspectives in bioethics
- Section X Specialty bioethics
- Index
- References
10 - Advance care planning
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 October 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- 1 Introduction
- Section I Information problems
- Section II End of life care
- Introduction
- 8 Quality end of life care
- 9 Substitute decision making
- 10 Advance care planning
- 11 Euthanasia and assisted suicide
- 12 Conflict in the healthcare setting at the end of life
- 13 Brain death
- Section III Pregnant women and children
- Section IV Genetics and biotechnology
- Section V Research ethics
- Section VI Health systems and institutions
- Section VII Using clinical ethics to make an impact in healthcare
- Section VIII Global health ethics
- Section IX Religious and cultural perspectives in bioethics
- Section X Specialty bioethics
- Index
- References
Summary
Mrs. G is 63 years old and has no significant history of illness. She presents for a routine visit to her family physician. She has read newspaper articles about living wills and thought that this was something she ought to address, but had never taken it further. In the physician's waiting room, she sees a leaflet on advance directives and decides that today would be a good day to learn more about this.
Mr. H is a 40-year-old man who was diagnosed 6 months ago with advanced glioblastoma multiforme, an incurable brain tumor. He presents to his oncologist with symptoms of early cognitive dysfunction. The physician considers what Mr. H should be told about advance directives.
What is advance care planning?
Advance care planning is a process whereby a patient, in consultation with healthcare providers, family members, and important others, makes decisions about his or her future healthcare (Teno et al., 1994). This planning may involve the preparation of a written advance directive (Emanuel et al., 1991). Completed by patients when they are capable, advance directives are invoked in the event that the patient loses decision making capacity. Advance directives may indicate what interventions patients would or would not want in various situations, and whom they would want to name as healthcare surrogates to make treatment decisions on their behalf.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge Textbook of Bioethics , pp. 65 - 71Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008