In this morning's NY TIMES, I read an astounding article about a person who took his advance directives so seriously that he had them tattooed on his chest: His Tattoo Said ‘Do Not Resuscitate.' Doctors Wanted Another Opinion. - The New York Times
Why should a step like this be necessary? Why is it that with our EMRs, our focus on paperwork, and our multitudinous permission slips on admission--why is it that something radical like this has happened? Did this man fear that his wishes would not be honored? Was he afraid that someone wouldn't be able to find the paperwork?
As the article points out, he came in unaccompanied and unconscious--a challenging situation for the care team no matter what. After consulting an ethicist, they honored his stated wishes and he died.
What are your thoughts on this?
How can we improve our end of life conversations?
Do you have some ideas about what we could do better?
How can our current EMRs help or hinder?
EDITED TO ADD
After reading this story, I was prompted to write an article about the necessity of talking to our patients about their end of life decisions. To read the article, go to Can We Talk? End of Life Discussions.