Writing Down Health Care Decisions Is Not Enough: Making The Most Of National Healthcare Decisions Day, April 16
Writing healthcare directives is only part of the answer to making healthcare wishes known. It's also important to talk with loved ones and also to make sure that directives are always available in an emergency. Electronic registries can help.
Online, April 14, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Americans were more likely to talk with their children about drug use or sex than with a seriously ill parent about their end-of-life wishes, according to a survey conducted for the first National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), held in 2008.
As we approach the fourth NHDD, April 16, 2011, chances are this is still true for many people. "This survey highlights one of the most important messages of NHDD," said Randi J. Siegel, President of DocuBank, a national registry for healthcare directives. "We all need to document our healthcare wishes, using a health care power of attorney or other advance directive. And - we also need to talk with our loved ones about our wishes and theirs."
This can be challenging, as the study above suggests, even for baby boomers. "It's ironic," observed Siegel, that "while the boomer generation is quite skilled at championing their own wishes for medical care and other consumer services, we boomers are often reluctant nonetheless to raise this topic with our own parents."
But studies have shown that having these conversations is important to one's wishes being known and followed. And in the case of serious, life-threatening illness, such conversations can be a real gift, often resulting in better emotional well-being for one's family.
For an individual who has taken the time to complete an advance directive, there is another step that can be taken to protect these wishes: ensuring sure that the directive is easily available, especially in an emergency.
Unfortunately, often it is not. One study found that advance directives were not available in three out of four cases when a patient was admitted to the hospital. In another, physicians were not even aware that their patients had advance directives in 67 percent of cases. "Too many people give their advance directive to a relative, who stuffs it in a file cabinet and can't find it when it's needed, or forgets it while panicking during a medical emergency," according to Siegel.
Storing healthcare directives in an electronic registry can be one way to ensure the accessibility of these important documents at a moment's notice. With a registry, documents can be available immediately, 24/7/365.
Some states operate public registries, which are usually free and store the basic advance directive documents. Private registries are also available, which charge a fee, store more kinds of directives, and generally include more services, such as storing vital information like allergies and medical conditions and notifying one's contacts in an emergency. Usually, these registries provide a wallet card so that the directives can be obtained by a hospital or doctor anywhere using just the card, via secure website and automated fax. DocuBank operates the largest national advance directives registry, storing the documents of over 180,000 individuals.
Throughout the 17 years that DocuBank has been registering advance directives, according to Siegel, they have seen the benefit of quick access. "Registrants and their families tell us stories time and again about how relieved were to use their wallet card at the hospital."
In honor of NHDD 2011, DocuBank is making its registry available free of charge for one year to individuals who register by May 16, 2011. For more information or to register, go to www.docubank.com.
An NHDD national supporter since the initiative's founding year, DocuBank is pleased to continue its participation in 2011. DocuBank also continues to participate in NHDD in Pennsylvania, where Siegel has served as a state liaison to the national initiative since 2008.
About National Healthcare Decisions Day
National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) brings together over 100 national organizations and 1000 state and community organizations who are calling for all Americans to begin the discussion about and document their healthcare wishes. For more information about the NHDD initiative and free information about advance care planning and advance directive forms, visit www.nhdd.org. For a map of state and local NHDD events, visit http://www.nhdd.org/2011/02/2011-national-healthcare-decisions-day.html.
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