Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Advance Care Planning In Australia: Challenges Of A Federal Legislative System, Colleen Cartwright

Professor Colleen M Cartwright

There is increasing attention in Australia and internationally on advance care planning (ACP), a process which assists competent people to make decisions about their healthcare for a possible future time when they may no longer be competent. ACP can include the use of a written document and/or use of a substitute decision-maker to make healthcare decisions at a time of future incompetence. ACP is much more prevalent in the US than in Australia or other English-speaking countries. Australia is a federation of states and territories, which all make their own health law, resulting in different legislative provision, documentation and terminology. …