Which act requires that clients be asked about Advance Directives and be provided with information about their rights to identify written directions for care if incapacitated?

• A. Informed Consent Act
• B. Patient Self-Determination Act
• C. Health Care Proxy Act
• D. Medical Records Act

Answer: (B)

Respecting patient autonomy means ensuring patients are informed about advance directives and that their written directions for care are identified and honored if they become incapacitated. The Patient Self-Determination Act requires facilities that participate in Medicare or Medicaid to ask patients about advance directives on admission, provide information about their rights to identify written directions for care, and document any directives in the medical record. This directly addresses both the questioning about advance directives and the provision of information about how patients can identify their written care directions, making it the best choice. Other acts focus on different areas: consent for specific treatments, appointing someone to decide if the patient can’t, or handling privacy and access to records.