Patient safety: honoring advanced directives.
Healthcare providers typically think of patient safety in the context of preventing iatrogenic injury. Prevention of falls and medication or treatment errors is the typical focus of adverse event analyses. If healthcare providers are committed to honoring the wishes of patients, then perhaps failures to honor advanced directives should be viewed as reportable medical errors.
Tice
Martha A
MA
Capital Hospice, 6565 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA. mtice@capitalhospice.org
D024362:Advance Directive Adherence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016414:Resuscitation Orders; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*