Advance Care Planning in Ecuador.

Area of Science:

• Bioethics
• Health Law
• Palliative Care

Background:

• Advance Care Planning (ACP) is crucial for patient autonomy when decision-making capacity is lost.
• Ecuador currently lacks specific legislation governing ACP.
• Existing frameworks like the Palliative Care Standard (2015) include compliance criteria for ACP but remain unimplemented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the current status of Advance Care Planning in Ecuador.
• To identify legislative gaps and progress towards incorporating ACP into national health law.
• To explore barriers to the implementation of ACP in the Ecuadorian context.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing Ecuadorian health legislation and bioethical guidelines.
• Analysis of the National Health Bioethics Commission's validation of the "Advance Living Will."
• Examination of the Palliative Care Standard's provisions related to ACP.

Main Results:

• Ecuador has no specific legislation for Advance Care Planning.
• The National Health Bioethics Commission has advanced the concept of an "Advance Living Will" for legislative inclusion.
• Despite established criteria in the Palliative Care Standard since 2015, ACP implementation is not enforced.

Conclusions:

• There is a recognized need for Advance Care Planning in Ecuador, supported by bioethical commissions.
• Legislative progress is underway with the proposed "Advance Living Will," but its adoption is pending.
• Cultural and social factors among healthcare professionals and patients present significant barriers to the practical application of ACP in Ecuador.