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Documentation of Capacity and Identification of Substitute Decisionmakers in Ontario
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 May 2014
Abstract:
Documenting capacity assessments and identifying substitute decisionmakers (SDMs) in healthcare facilities is ethically required for optimal patient care. Lack of such documentation has the potential to generate confusion and contention among patients, their family members, and members of the healthcare team. An overview of our research at the Ottawa Hospital and issues that influence the consistency of documentation in the Canadian context are presented here, as well as ideas for the mitigation of these issues and ways to encourage better documentation.
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- Special Section: Bioethics Beyond Borders
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- Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014
References
Notes
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3. Hospitals Act, 2007 (Nova Scotia); Health Act, 2002 (Yukon Territory); Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act (British Columbia), 2000; Health Care Consent Act, 1996 (Ontario); Quebec Civil Code, 1994 (Quebec); Consent to Treatment and Health Care Directives Act 1996 (Prince Edward Island); Medical Consent of Minors Act Mental Capacity (New Brunswick); Health Care Directives and Substitute Health Care Decision Makers Act, 2000 (Saskatchewan); Mental Health Act (Northwest Territories, 1998; Nunavut, 1999); Care Consent Act, 2003 (Yukon).
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