title: The right to refuse treatment: a model act.
abstract: Although the right to refuse medical treatment is universally recognized as a fundamental principle of liberty, this right is not always honored. A refusal can be thwarted either because a patient is unable to competently communicate or because providers insist on continuing treatment. To help enhance the patient's right to refuse treatment, many states have enacted so-called "living will" or "natural death" statutes. We believe the time has come to move beyond these current legislative models, and we therefore propose a Model Act that clearly enunciates an individual's right to refuse treatment, does not limit its exercise to the terminally ill or to heroic measures, and provides a mechanism by which individuals can set forth their wishes in advance and designate another person to enforce them.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D033242:Minors; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014481:United States; D014918:Wills