Federal law mandates that all patients admitted to health care facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding receive information about advance directives upon admission.

Have you ever cared for a patient who hadn't prepared an advance directive, leaving relatives to struggle with end-of-life decisions when he became incapacitated? Or maybe he'd prepared one that was too vague or ambiguous for his family and caregivers to apply to the circumstances. In the end, he may not have died as he would have wished.

As a health care professional, you are in a key position to help prevent this kind of tragedy. Advance care planning enables the patient to communicate his wishes to the physician, proxy, and other health care providers, thus reducing potential uncertainty about "what the patient would want." These discussions often alleviate fears patients have about their future health care - particularly the fear of losing control of that care.

Less than 25 percent of Americans have expressed their thoughts in writing about how they wish to be cared for at the end of life. Most people avoid the subject. Physicians may wait for patients to initiate the discussion, find themselves too busy to engage in lengthy conversations, or feel unprepared to broach the topic with their patients. The Health Care Decisions project encourages individuals in our community to take the initiative and make reasoned choices in advance, easing the stress on them and their families. You can advocate for your patient and engage in conversations about health care choices. This web site will give you the information, language, and confidence you need.

Purpose of the Site | Why Participate? | Legal Issues | Talking to Your Patients . . .

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