Living wills and other advance directives

The bulk of public interest in advance directives for health care has focused to date upon the living will. This approach is hampered by a narrow focus and a lack of applicability to many of the situations in which guidance is needed. The major value of the living will may prove to be its role in raising the level of public consciousness. The durable power of attorney concept, though not free of problems, appears more likely to be of practical utility. As the population ages, incompetence and terminal illness assume greater prominence among the ethical issues confronting the medical profession. Physicians can, and should, play a leading role in the struggle to deal with them.