Who Should Make Decisions for Unrepresented Patients Who Are Incarcerated?

The United States has a high incarceration rate. Incarceration is associated with increased risk for cancer, chronic illness, serious mental illness, and substance use disorder. People who are incarcerated are less likely to be offered or participate in advance care planning, less likely to document...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AMA journal of ethics 2019-07, Vol.21 (7), p.E617-624
Main Authors: Tobey, Matthew, Simon, Lisa
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The United States has a high incarceration rate. Incarceration is associated with increased risk for cancer, chronic illness, serious mental illness, and substance use disorder. People who are incarcerated are less likely to be offered or participate in advance care planning, less likely to document their treatment preferences, and might not have a surrogate if one is needed. This article explores medical decision making for patients who are incarcerated and unrepresented and considers advantages and disadvantages of different classes of decision makers for them.
ISSN:2376-6980
2376-6980
DOI:10.1001/amajethics.2019.617