title: [Advance directives in clinical practice : Living will, healthcare power of attorney and care directive].
abstract: In clinical practice, situations continuously occur in which medical professionals and family members are confronted with decisions on whether to extend or limit treatment for severely ill patients in end of life treatment decisions. In these situations, advance directives are helpful tools in decision making according to the wishes of the patient; however, not every patient has made an advance directive and in our experience medical staff as well as patients are often not familiar with these documents. The purpose of this article is therefore to explain the currently available documents (e.g. living will, healthcare power of attorney and care directive) and the possible (legal) applications and limitations in the routine clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Universitätsklinika Gießen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hack
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Universitätsklinika Gießen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buecking
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Viszeral-, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie, Universitätsklinika Gießen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Marburg, Marburg, 35043, Deutschland.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Universitätsklinika Gießen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Marburg, 35043, Marburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruchholtz
authors.affiliation: Zentrum für Orthopädie, Unfall- und Wirbelsäulenchirurgie, ASKLEPIOS Klinik Hamburg-Wandsbek, Alphonsstr. 14, Hamburg, 22043, Deutschland. c.kuehne@asklepios.com.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kühne
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives; D006801:Humans; D016224:Living Wills; D028761:Withholding Treatment
keywords: Assumed patient’s wish; Decision making; Legal guardians; Living will; Self-determination