Health Care Directive
Quick Reference Guide
Does your patient have a Health Care Directive?
Consideration 1
Health Care Directives should be reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to reflect your patients’ values.
Consideration 3
Support for substitute decision makers and health care proxies should be available from the health care team.
Consideration 2
A Health Care Directive never takes precedent over a patient that has decision- making capacity.
Consideration 4
Health Care Directives should be completed with the guidance of a health care professional.
For patients who are not able to communicate their wishes regarding treatment and care plan, an advanced care directive/health care directive assists in decision making for their health care team. Health Care Directives allow for the patient’s values, wishes and goals to be integrated into treatment plans and decisions about their health.
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Health Care Directives allow third party decision making by the health care team to respect patients’ autonomy and fidelity even when the patient can’t speak for themselves. This allows for core values of the patient to be respected and upheld by their health care team in the decision making for their care.
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If a patient does not have a Health Care Directive and they are able to communicate their wishes, this may be an opportunity for their physician to take the time explore their values, wishes and goals regarding future treatment plans. If a Health Care Directive exists, it should be regularly reviewed to ensure it continues to reflect the patient’s current values, goals, and wishes. ​
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