Who will make medical decisions if no Health Care Proxy exists?
If you become unable to make or communicate treatment decisions to health care providers, they will look for an alternate decision maker If a Proxy exists, that person will be your Agent. If a Proxy does not exist, decisions will often be made by a group of people, including family and care providers and, in some cases, a guardian. When no Proxy exists, the medical decision making process is usually slower than with a Proxy. More importantly, treatment decisions made by a committee of family and health care professionals may not reflect your values and beliefs. In sum, the Health Care Proxy assists in having your treatment preferences carried out in the most efficient manner possible.
Related Questions
- Would you support the research of healthcare decisions made by proxy, for example, parents making health care decisions for their children or parents and children making decisions together?
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- Who will make medical decisions if no Health Care Proxy exists?
