When should a physician refer to a patient’s advance directive?

It is best for a physician to ask a patient early on in his or her care if he has a living will, or other form of advance directives. Not only does this information get included in the patient’s chart, but by raising the issue, the patient has an opportunity to clarify his wishes with the care providers and his family (see Advance Care Planning ).


It is best for a physician to ask a patient early on in his or her care if he has a living will, or other form of advance directives. Not only does this information get included in the patient’s chart, but by raising the issue, the patient has an opportunity to clarify his wishes with the care providers and his family (see Advance Care Planning ).

However, advance directives take effect only in situations where a patient is unable to participate directly in medical decision making. Appeals to living wills and surrogate decision makers are ethically and legally inappropriate when individuals remain competent to guide their own care. The assessment of decisional incapacity is often difficult and may involve a psychiatric evaluation and, at times, a legal determination.

Some directives are written to apply only in particular clinical situations, such as when the patient has a “terminal” condition or an “incurable” illness. These ambiguous terms mean that directives must be interpreted by caregivers. More recent forms of instructive directives have attempted to overcome this ambiguity by either addressing specific interventions (e.g. blood transfusions or CPR) that are to be prohibited in all clinical contexts.