advance directive

noun

plural advance directives

: a legal document (such as a living will) signed by a competent person to provide guidance for medical and health-care decisions (such as the termination of life support or organ donation) in the event the person becomes incompetent to make such decisions

… the American Medical Association estimates that 15 percent of the population has filled out some type of advance directive specifying what medical treatment they should be given if they are unable to offer guidance, or who will decide for them.

—Susan Moran

Advance directives and hospice care were developed to ensure patients' autonomy and to provide high-quality care at the end of life.

—Ezekiel J. Emanuel et al.

compare dnr, molst, polst

Examples of advance directive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There isn’t a 25th Amendment for senators, which makes this proposal for legislative advance directives even more necessary. —Joseph J. Fins, STAT, 29 Aug. 2023

More perspectives on today’s topic & other resources How do psychiatric advance directives work? —Ada Tseng, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2023

Some physicians may refuse to honor your advance directive or your agent’s health care or treatment decision. —Virginia Hammerle, Dallas News, 9 July 2023

Having an advance directive, health care proxy, or living will, unfortunately, can be virtually useless in the face of that kind of behavior. —Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Washington Post, 22 June 2023

With the new law in place, health care providers still must check for a patient’s advance directive or power of attorney. —Mark Kreidler, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Feb. 2023

Ideally, people should have an advance directive to ensure their wishes are followed, Gipson said. —Mark Kreidler, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Feb. 2023

The Illinois Department of Public Health offers online resources to those looking to prepare an advance directive, designate a health care proxy or draw up a living will. —Hartford Courant, 16 Nov. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

advance directive

noun

ad·​vance di·​rec·​tive əd-ˈvan(t)s-də-ˈrek-tiv, -dī- 

: a legal document (such as a living will) signed by a living competent person in order to provide guidance for medical and health-care decisions (such as the termination of life support and organ donation) in the event that the person becomes incompetent to make such decisions compare dnr entry 2, molst, polst

Legal Definition

advance directive

noun

: a document (as a living will or health care power of attorney) in which a person expresses his or her wishes regarding medical treatment in the event of incapacity