Medical Ethics Made Accessible
Case-based clinical ethics education

Identifying the Best Surrogate

Identifying the Best Surrogate

Watch this video from the Cleveland Clinic about what a Healthcare Power of Attorney is, and why it’s important to have one:


Advance directives are legal documents that provide instructions about who should oversee your medical treatment and what your end-of-life wishes are, in case you are unable to speak for yourself. Advance directives include a Health Care Power of Attorney and a Living Will.

Watch this video on intra-family conflict exacerbated by the absence of advanced care planning:

Esther's mother needed an amputation - and wasn't mentally able to make the decision for herself. All of the children struggled to make the decision for her - hear how different that would've been if there had been a Care Plan in place.

Read this article for six tips on how to move forward when multiple family members are involved, and they can’t agree on what they’d like for the patient

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/when-patients-families-disagree-treatment-6-ways-forward

The six tips:

  1. Get to know the patient’s family.

  2. Minimize confusion.

  3. Help everyone identify their values.

  4. Encourage the patient to be open.

  5. Preserve confidentiality.

  6. Don’t hesitate to call in help.

Read this article highlighting the complexities of arriving at a consensus of how to proceed in a case where family members have strong disagreements

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/us/as-a-life-ebbs-the-ultimate-family-quarrel.html

References:

Cleveland Clinic. (2015, April 13). Healthcare Power of Attorney. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0KXs7wzDy0

Griffin Health. (2017, November 3). Advance Care Planning - Family Conflict. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5NREkwjz_E

Smith, TM. (2018, December 20). When patients, families disagree on treatment: 6 ways forward. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/when-patients-families-disagree-treatment-6-ways-forward

Belluck, P. (2004, September 27). As a Life Ebbs, the Ultimate Family Quarrel. The New York Times. Also Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/us/as-a-life-ebbs-the-ultimate-family-quarrel.html