Advance directives and life-sustaining treatment: a legal primer

Advanced directives are a natural extension of a patient's right to self-determination of what actions will be taken upon his or her body. As such, instructional advanced directives such as living wills and DNR orders represent important patient preferences that must be adhered to in the health care context. In addition, health care proxies provide the patient with an authority for decision making in the event of incapacity. Overall, advanced directives provide health care providers, patients, and patient families with control over the kinds of care they do and do not desire at the end of life. Understanding the legal status of these instruments will provide the physician with another tool to advocate effectively for the patient.