Do Physicians Have Health Care Proxies?
Most physicians realize how important health care proxies can be when caring for patients who are unable to make decisions for themselves. So one would expect that most physicians would have proxies. Apparently that is not the case, at least in Massachusetts. At the MMS’s Annual Meeting in May, physicians were surveyed about their own use of a health care proxy. Seventy-seven MMS members completed the written survey, for a response rate of 34 percent. Forty-nine respondents (64 percent) reported that they have a health care proxy. Not surprisingly, there was a strong correlation between age and whether or not a physician had a health care proxy. Physicians 70 and older were the most likely to have a proxy. In that age group, 93 percent (14 of 15 respondents) said they have a proxy. In the 50-59 age group, 58 percent (14 people) have proxies and 42 percent (10 people) do not. Among physicians age 60-69, 52 percent (11) have proxies and 48 (10) do not. No conclusions could be drawn from
