Brief report: identifying a proxy for health care as part of routine medical inquiry.
BACKGROUND
Physician-initiated advance care planning is desirable, effective, and routinely indicated for competent adult patients, but doctors are often reluctant to begin the necessary conversations.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether patients are willing and able to designate a surrogate for medical decision making, when asked to do so as part of routine medical inquiry.


METHODS
A survey asking patients to name a health care agent was designed and administered in the context of routine clinical care. Participants were drawn from a consecutive sample of 309 competent adult outpatients. Data were analyzed using ordinary descriptive statistics.


RESULTS
Two hundred ninety-eight of 309 patients (response rate, 96%) completed the survey and were willing and able to specify a proxy for health care. One third of married participants did not choose their spouse as proxy.


CONCLUSIONS
Asking patients to identify a surrogate for medical decision making opens the door for ongoing individualized medical care planning in the context of ordinary patient-physician interaction. This approach is applicable to all competent adults. Documenting proxy choice protects a patient's wishes and preferences until more definitive planning is accomplished.
Lipkin
K Michael
KM
Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA. m-lipkin@northwestern.edu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D003625:Data Collection; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000639:trends; D019727:Proxy