Massachusetts H1591 clarifies conditions under which a physician can act as a healthcare proxy.
Massachusetts H1591 amends Chapter 201D of the General Laws to specify conditions under which a physician can act as a healthcare proxy. If a patient's designated healthcare agent is unavailable, unwilling, or incompetent, an attending physician may designate another physician as a proxy decision-maker. This requires a reasonable effort to contact the patient's proxy, an independent determination of the patient's lack of decisional capacity, consultation with the medical ethics committee, and documentation of the designated physician in the medical record.
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