Advance Directives and Patient Consent Flashcards

What is an advance directive?

Answer: A legal document expressing a patient's healthcare wishes if they become unable to make decisions

An advance directive is a legal document that outlines a patient's healthcare preferences and designates a decision-maker in the event they lose decision-making capacity.

Which federal law requires hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid to inform patients of their rights regarding advance directives upon admission?

Answer: PSDA (Patient Self-Determination Act)

The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) of 1990 mandates that healthcare facilities receiving Medicare/Medicaid funding must inform adult patients of their rights to make healthcare decisions and ask about existing advance directives.

What does a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order specify?

Answer: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should not be attempted if the patient's heart or breathing stops

A DNR order is a physician's order, based on patient or surrogate wishes, that instructs medical staff not to perform CPR in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest.

What is a living will?

Answer: A written statement detailing the medical treatments a patient wants or does not want under specific conditions

A living will is an advance directive in which a competent person documents the specific medical treatments they want or do not want if they become incapacitated and face a terminal condition or permanent unconsciousness.

What is the primary role of a Patient Access Representative (PAR) when a patient arrives without an advance directive?

Answer: Provide the patient with written information about their right to create an advance directive

Under the PSDA, PARs must provide patients with written information about their rights to execute advance directives; they cannot require patients to have one as a condition of admission.

A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (DPOA-HC) allows a designated agent to:

Answer: Make legally binding healthcare decisions on behalf of an incapacitated patient

A DPOA-HC designates a healthcare proxy or agent who is legally authorized to make medical decisions on behalf of a patient who has lost decision-making capacity.

When must a hospital document in a patient's medical record that advance directive information was provided?

Answer: Upon admission, as required by the Patient Self-Determination Act

The PSDA requires that documentation of advance directive information given to the patient be included in the medical record at the time of inpatient admission.