ABSTRACT
I advance directives have come to be viewed by nearly I I all parties as having the potential to be a very important component of medical decisionmaking. For the past year, they have been the main object of a federal initiative under the Patient Self-Determination Act, intended to encourage patients to claim their rights in regard to decisionmaking. The PSDA requires that notice of the possibility of formulating advance directives be given to nearly all patients in the health care system; it also carries substantial requirements for documentation, transfer, clarification of the law, and public education.
