Abstract
When the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) went into effect on December 1, 1991, a new right was bestowed uniformly on all Americans, the right to determine the kinds of care that they will accept and the kinds of care that they will not accept should they become incompetent. The right of the competent patient to refuse care is rooted in the common law and has been recognized for generations in the United States.<sup>1</sup>The courts in the United States have struggled for 15 years, since the<i>Quinlan</i>case brought the question dramatically into public view, to find a way by which the right of the competent individual to refuse care could be made available equally to the incompetent patient.<sup>2,3</sup>Physicians struggled over those years to make decisions regarding life-prolonging care for incompetent patients but, despite even the most conscientious efforts, decisions were sometimes driven as much by fear
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
