What is the purpose of advance directives?

The purpose of advance directives is to communicate preferences regarding medical treatment. These legal documents allow individuals to specify their wishes concerning healthcare decisions in the event that they become unable to communicate those wishes themselves. This includes decisions about life-sustaining treatments, resuscitation, and other medical interventions. By setting these preferences in advance, individuals ensure that their choices are respected and followed, even when they cannot actively participate in decision-making due to illness or incapacity.

In contrast, managing patient records relates to how healthcare information is maintained and accessed rather than an individual's treatment preferences. Providing legal representation of the patient refers to the role of legal counsel, which is separate from the intent of advance directives. Establishing physician authority involves the ability of physicians to make decisions in the best interest of the patient within the framework of medical ethics and law, but this is more about the role of healthcare professionals than the patient's personal treatment preferences.