When a person’s advanced directives go missing it can create a difficult problem when trying to determine what that person’s wishes were for end-of-life care. In the era of paper records, it was common for advanced directives and other crucial estate planning documents to get lost when people needed them most. This article also discusses the flaw many hospitals face when a patients’ advanced directives are spread out among many different systems. There are researchers who are developing digital systems for storing advanced directives that will make it easier for health care providers to carry out a patients’ wishes. Lawmakers in Congress have also expressed interest in making advanced health care directives “portable.” Regulations on advanced directives current vary by state and people should obtain the services of an experienced attorney who guide them with drafting an advanced directive.
See Shefali Luthra, Electronic Records Offer A Chance To Ensure Patients’ End-Of-Life Plans Aren’t Lost In Critical Moments, Kaiser Health News, March 23, 2016.
Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.
