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Informed Consent and Advance Directives: Your Right to Determine
Your Own Care
It is your right to accept or refuse medical treatment. Your
doctor must clearly explain the advantages and risks of any
procedure, tests or treatments. Based on this information,
you must give your permission for such care. You have the
right to refuse any treatments. This process is called informed
consent.
When you cannot tell us your wishes, we assume you want treatment
to continue. It is important for you to let your healthcare
providers know if there are times when you would not want
treatment to continue. In Maine you can communicate your wishes
by using the Maine Healthcare Advance
Directive Form.
An Advance Directive protects your right to make decisions
about your care if you become unable to choose or tell us
your wishes due to an accident or an illness. By using Advance
Directives you can tell your loved ones, your doctor, your
hospital, how you would like to be cared for if you cannot
communicate such information. To prepare an Advance Directive,
you must be 18 years of age and have the ability to give informed
consent.
Advance Directives can be changed or revoked as you make
new decisions about your healthcare. Also each document will
be carefully reviewed before your healthcare providers act
upon the Directive.
We do not require you to have, or prohibit you from having,
an Advance Directive. You will be cared for in either case.
CMMF has written policies
and procedures that tell how these documents will
be used at the Medical Center. Your Advance Directive will
determine the type of care you receive only if you are unable
to make your own decisions. At all other times, you will make
decisions for yourself. In the unlikely event that your doctor
or the hospital is unwilling to carry out your Advance Directive,
every effort will be made to transfer your care to another
doctor or hospital that is willing to do so.
The decision to prepare an Advance Directive should be made
after careful thought and discussion with those important
to you. At CMMC we encourage your active involvement in your
medical care. We urge you to talk about these matters with
your loved ones, your doctor and others, including your lawyer
and your clergy.
Further information about these documents is available upon
request -- just ask a member of your healthcare treatment
team.
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