What is the role of an advance directive in a patient's healthcare decisions?

The role of an advance directive in a patient's healthcare decisions is to outline a patient’s preferences for care in situations where they may become unable to communicate those wishes due to illness or incapacity. This legal document allows individuals to express their values and choices regarding medical treatment, such as life-sustaining measures or palliative care. By doing so, it ensures that healthcare providers and family members understand the patient’s desires, thereby guiding decision-making in critical situations where the patient cannot speak for themselves. This helps to honor the patient's autonomy and promotes shared decision-making aligned with their personal values and beliefs.

While documentation related to patient care, such as advance directives, may provide some protections for healthcare workers in making decisions aligned with patient preferences, the primary function is to ensure the patients' wishes are respected. Similarly, advance directives do not guarantee payment for services or expedite discharge processes, as those aspects pertain to administrative and financial policies rather than patient care preferences.