Estate Planning

NC Medical Board Recommends Advance Directives

By Greg Herman-Giddens

The website of the North Carolina Medical Board contains many Position Statements, including one on Advance Directives, a portion of which is quoted below:

"It is the position of the North Carolina Medical Board that it is in the best interest of the patient and of the physician/patient relationship to encourage patients to complete or authorize documents that express their wishes for the kind of care they desire at the end of their lives. Physicians should encourage their patients to appoint a health care agent to act through the execution of a Health Care Power of Attorney and to provide documentation of the appointment to the responsible physician(s)."

and one on Pain Management and End-of-Life Care:

"The Medical Board will assume opioid use in such patients is appropriate if the responsible physician is familiar with and abides by acceptable medical guidelines regarding such use, is knowledgeable about effective and compassionate pain relief, and maintains an appropriate medical record that details a pain management plan." and

"The health care team should give primary importance to the expressed desires of the patient tempered by the judgment and legal responsibilities of each licensed health professional as to what is in the patient's best interest. "

Those with an interest in these issues would be well-advised to read the Position Statements and discuss them with their physicians.

Full post as published by North Carolina Estate Planning Blog on May 17, 2010 (boomark / email).