Something we need to discuss - advance directives as communicative devices

Abstract

Definition of the problem In the current discussion on advance health care directives, questions of scope and obligation prevail. This corresponds to the main actors of the discourse: jurists and physicians. Arguments However, according to the results of a study on 272 tumor patients, this focus does not cover the patients' point of view: In their perspective, advance health care directives act as devices for communication rather than as legal directives. Conclusion Due to this perception, questions of scope and obligation are secondary.