END OF LIFE ISSUES
Patient Self-Determination at End-of-Life
RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Medical Society supports efforts to ensure that a patient’s wishes regarding the level of end-of-life treatment are solicited and honored including, but not limited to, the use of tools such as advanced directives, such as a living will and a health care power of attorney, and portable physician orders, such as the portable Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order and the Medical Order for Scope of Treatment (MOST); be it further
RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Medical Society supports immunity for health care professionals who rely and act in good faith on reliable sources of information communicating the patient’s wishes with regard to the desired level of end-of-life treatment.
(Report K-1982, adopted 5/7/82)
(revised, Report JJ-1992, Item 5, adopted 11/8/92)
(revised, Report Q-2000, Item 42, adopted 11/12/00)
(revised, Report R-2006, Item 4, adopted 10/29/2006)
(reaffirmed, Report H-2011, Item 3-41, adopted 10/23/2011)
(reaffirmed, NCMS Board Report-2019, Item 1, 2-14, adopted 7/26/2019)