Saturday, September 17, 2016

Differences between Advance Medical Directive (AMD) and Advance Care Planning (ACP)

This post came out from The New Paper (27 July 2016)

AMD

  • Revocable legal document signed in advance to declare one's intention to refuse any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to prolong life; applicable only in event when one becomes terminally ill and unconscious, where death is imminent.
  • Must be above 21 years of age and not mentally disordered.
  • Made through a doctor, who will act as one of the two required witnesses. Second witness may be any other suitable person above 21 years old.
  • Completed dorm to be submitted to the Registrar of Advance Medical Directives.
  • Confidential; doctor to submit request for search in AMD registry should patient be in condition for AMD to be effected.
ACP
  • Ongoing communication process that takes place through sharing future healthcare wishes with loved ones.
  • Applicable for wide range of end-of-life decisions, such as views on treatment plans and preferences on who to help in decision making when one is incapacitated from doing so.
  • Not a legal process.
  • Care preferences can be updated any time, through informing loved ones and updating ACP documents.
  • Does not require presence of doctor, except for patients with complex conditions, which may then necessitate facilitating by ACP facilitators.
  • Can be documented by various forms to be shared with loved ones, such as in an ACP form or a letter.
  • Loved ones will convey preferences to healthcare team in medical crisis.
  • One can make AMD and also undergo ACP process. 


Thoughts anyone?

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big

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