Does a Living Will Equal a DNR? Are Living Wills Compromising Patient Safety?

Part 12: Education, Implementation, and Teams

“…In [601][602][603][604][605][606] ; LOE 5 [607][608][609][610][611] ) did not support the use of advance directives (eg, living wills), compared with no such directives, to improve outcome defined as resuscitative efforts based on patient preference. Evidence from 1 LOE 3 study 612 suggested that the presence of a DNAR order decreased CPR rates.…”

A Living Will Misinterpreted as a DNR Order: Confusion Compromises Patient Care

“…Therefore, he was transported to the ED by private vehicle (facility van). Included in the records sent by the nursing home was a living will, in which the patient appointed a health care proxy and indicated his wishes regarding medical RECEIVED: 15 Figure 2). In the ED, the patient was found to be profoundly anemic, hypotensive, and hypoxic.…”

TRIAD III: Nationwide Assessment of Living Wills and Do Not Resuscitate Orders

“…Several published case studies have demonstrated that language in living wills is often vague or poorly defined (11,12). Evidence from other institutions reveals that there are vast differences in the understanding of living wills among patients, family members, and physicians.…”