The Role of Advance Treatment Directives in Health Care Policy

Abstract

As new developments in medical knowledge and technology enable health care professionals to sustain life for increasing lengths of time, difficult social policy issues arise. One such dilemma concerns the appropriate level of medical treatment to administer to seriously ill or injured patients whose conditions have rendered them unable to make decisions for themselves. Because they lack awareness and the capacity to communicate, these individuals lose control over fundamental personal decisions on life and death. As a consequence, they may be treated in ways that conflict with their own values and preferences. Furthermore, because every nation can devote only limited amounts of resources to the health care of its residents, policy officials and medical care-givers must somehow determine which individuals should receive the highest level of available care.