The Legislative Yuan passed the third reading of Patient Right to Autonomy Act on Dec. 18th 2015. This is the first Act specifically dedicated to Patient’s autonomy right, and also the first national act that is centered on patient’s rights of knowing, choosing and deciding, which literally hands the medical decision right back on patient’s hand.
As long as you are above 20 with full competence, you are ready to make your own advance medical decision. In the future, when you found yourself in situation like advance illness or persistent vegetative state…, you can choose whether you wish to prolong life via medical interference or not. In view of public’s unfamiliarity with this Act and tends to confuse with the current Hospice Palliative Care Act, here we have gathered the 20 most common Q&As for you at a glance.
Special thanks to:
- Mrs. Yang, Yu-shing -Former legislator/Drafter of the Patient Self-Determination Act
- Prof. Sun, Hsiao-chih -National University Taiwan, Department of Philosophy