Steps in the treatment decision-making process:
- Use what we know about the person and their preferences to determine treatment to be offered.
- Seek consent directly from the patient/resident.
- If the person is unable to give consent, check the shared goals of care form and/or the advance care plan for any relevant advance directive.
- If there is no valid advance directive, determine if there is someone else who can consent (Enduring Power of Attorney or legal guardian).
- If there is no valid advance directive and no one else who can give consent, the treating clinician must make the decision they believe the patient would have made.
For more information about the legal framework for clinical decision-making and consent, please see the ACP online learning modules (module 3 – Changing the outcomes of future health care).
Related resources
Published: 20 Oct 2021
Modified: 2 Dec 2021