Surrogate decision-making
- Patient selection
- Inability to communicate wishes regarding medical decision-making
- Advance directive not available or applicable
- No previously designated surrogate decision maker
- Surrogate selection
- Priority to patient's spouse
- Alternate: adult children, parents, adult siblings, other family members
- Implementation
- Substituted judgment: what the patient, not family, would have wanted
- Decisions in the patient's best interest