The Patient Self Determination

Patient Self-Determination Act

HCR/210

The Patient Self-Determination Act requires all health care providers participating in

Medicare and Medicaid to provide all patients over age eighteen with;

• The patients rights under the law to participate in decisions about his or her

medical care, including the right to accept or refuse treatments.

• The patient's right under state law to complete advance directives, which

will be documented in his or her medical records

• The health care provider's policies honoring these rights

(www.libraryindex.com)

The Patient Self-Determination Act was put into place to make sure that patients

provided with informed consent, information about their right to make advance

health care decisions, and information about state laws that impact legal choices

in making health care decisions.

These are called advance directives a few of the advance directives are;

• Do not Resuscitate (DNR) Order

• Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

• Health Care Proxy

• Living Will

• Organ or Tissue Donation

Advance directives are decisions that are put into place before or at the time of

entering a hospital or nursing home.

I believe this legislation greatly affected the medical records procedure. Ensuring that documents were filled out and signed properly and entered into the correct system is a tremendous job, in addition to all of the other records that are to be maintained. Proper training would be very important with any new legislation that would pass. If the person delivering the advance directives did not fully understand the purpose of the legislation, the patient may not receive the care that he or she did or did not want.

References

Advance Directives - The Patient Self-determination Act http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/3133/Advance-Directives-PATIENT-SELF-DETERMINATION-ACT.html#ixzz0rANRLrdp