Are You my Person? Surrogate Decision-making in Patients with Use Disorders

Saturday, April 6, 2024

4:00 PM – 5:15 PM

Presenter(s)

Ben Thompson, MD

Division Chief, Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Addiction Consultant
University of South Carolina / Prisma Health, South Carolina

Slides Handouts
Janet J. Ho, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor
UCSF/ SFGH, California
Monika Holbein, MD

Palliative Medicine Physician
Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute, Penn Medicine Lancaster, Pennsylvania
KN

Kyle Neale, DO

Ambulatory Palliative Medicine Medical Director
Cleveland Clinic, Ohio

Non-presenting author(s)

Katrina S. Nickels, MD, FASAM

Assistant Professor, UK College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine Division of Palliative & Supportive Care Division of Infectious Disease, Addiction Medicine
University of Kentucky, Kentucky

People with use disorders may have unconventional family units due to events related to their use disorder which make statutory surrogate decision maker hierarchies less appropriate. Integrating advanced care planning in particular the identification of a healthcare power of attorney during any healthcare episode will improve the care received by patients with use disorders not able to make decisions for themselves; respecting and validating their autonomy and chosen family unit.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will be able to:

Recognize the importance of discussing surrogate decision makers in patients with use disorders
Identify statutory decision makers and introduce HCPOA documentation
Discover the added value of advanced care planning in PWID anticipating future complications of use disorders.