Simple English definitions for legal terms
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A physician's directive is a legal document that explains a person's wishes about medical treatment if they become unable to communicate or make decisions for themselves. It designates a surrogate decision-maker for healthcare matters and is effective upon one's incompetency. The agent must make decisions in accordance with the principal's relevant instructions, if there are any, or in the principal's best interests. It is also known as a medical directive or written directive.
A physician's directive is a legal document that explains a person's wishes about medical treatment if they become unable to communicate or make decisions for themselves. It is also known as an advance directive or medical directive.
There are two types of physician's directives:
For example, if a person has a power of attorney for healthcare and becomes incapacitated, their designated agent can make medical decisions on their behalf. This can include decisions about life-sustaining treatments, such as whether to continue or withdraw life support.
Another example is if a person has a do-not-resuscitate order in place and experiences cardiac arrest, healthcare providers will not perform CPR, as per the person's wishes.