AMA Journal of Ethics

A UPAC is an alternative to engaging a guardianship court appointment process or to using physicians or ethics committees as decision makers.

When patients are unable to express their wishes and do not have surrogates or advance directives, which and whose values should inform decision making for them? We discuss ethical complexities of caring for unrepresented patients.

A look at current literature and work by a statewide initiative can motivate development of policies that help respond to unrepresented patients’ needs.

Decisions for patients who are unrepresented and incarcerated could be made by different classes of possible decision makers “inside” and “outside.”