PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - R. H. Fisher
AU  - E. M. Meslin
TI  - Should living wills be legalized?
DP  - 1990 Jan 01
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 23--26
VI  - 142
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/142/1/23.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/142/1/23.full
SO  - CMAJ1990 Jan 01; 142
AB  - Living wills allow patients to state their wish to die and not be kept alive through the use of medications, artificial means or "heroic" measures. They have been made legal documents in 38 states in the United States. Living wills permit advance expression of a patient's wishes, promote effective communication and demonstrate respect for the patient as a person. Problems with legal recognition of such wills include the need for agreement on fundamental terms, possible restriction of patients' rights, limitation of options in decision-making and possible negative effects on the physician-patient relationship. Before legislation is enacted, public and professional attitudes toward the care of terminally ill patients should be assessed. All health care professionals should receive better education in this area, and palliative care services should be made more widely available. Only if these measures fail should living wills be made legal documents in Canada.