Patient Self-Determination Act
In 1990, The Patient Self-Determination Act began. This Act would require that healthcare facilities inform patients about their right in case of an emergency situation. Also the patient would be informed about their rights to get advanced healthcare accommodations, and any related information that pertains to the legal impact and state laws regarding all healthcare decisions. Many of the healthcare facilities that exist today in America would be required by the Patient Self-Determination Act to disclose to patients 18 years of age or older about their legal rights to get advance directives as it pertains to personal medical information or records. The Advance directives include the following: living wills, and healthcare proxy, power of attorneys, and do not resuscitate (DNR). The federal law requires the health care facility to inform the patient in writing of their rights if they choose to fill out an advance directives form. The Patient Self-Determination Act allows the physicians and the facilities know what the wishes are if the patient has an emergency situations happens and the physician and facility will have to grant the patients last request. These types of documents allow the patient to have their wishes granted in case the patient could not verbally talk to the physician. The Advanced Directive Admission Form is a form that allows the patients to write down their wishes if they want to become an organ donor, if the patient does not make it through an emergency situation. If the patient chooses one or more Advanced Directive, they must fill out the proper form, so that the physician and facilities has the proper documentation of what the patient’s wishes are in case of an emergency situation.
Reference:
Green, M.A., & Bowie, M. J. (2005). Essentials of health information management: Principles and practices. Clifton Park, NJ: