title: Decisions at the end of life. Guided by communities of patients.
abstract: To guide treatment decisions for incompetent patients who have no advance directives, health care institutions should look to the preferences of their own communities of patients. That is the best way to ensure that incompetent patients' wishes will be followed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Emanuel
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Emanuel
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives; D032921:Consensus; D003657:Decision Making; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D006126:Group Processes; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology; D007872:Legal Guardians; D016743:Mental Competency; D010358:Patient Participation; D010379:Peer Group; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012935:Social Justice; D012945:Social Values; D028761:Withholding Treatment