Planning for medical decision making: living wills and durable powers of attorney

The enactment of living will and durable power of attorney statutes in most states, including Maryland, provide individuals with a mechanism for setting forth their preferences for medical treatment in the event of their inability to make treatment decisions on their own behalf. Although still under used, these mechanisms are becoming more common, and physicians will be confronting them more frequently. The following overview of the Maryland Life Sustaining Procedures Act and the Durable Power of Attorney Act and discussion of their advantages and limitations is from the perspective of patients and their physicians.