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In daily clinical practice, care decisions must be made even when patients lack capacity to independently provide informed consent and shared decision-making. If the patient has not named someone to speak for them, it can become a challenge to know how best to proceed. This presentation explores various complexities of surrogate decision making and proposes strategies for honoring patient values and goals when alternate decision makers are needed. At the conclusion of this presentation, learners should be able to: (1) Describe three ways to determine the most appropriate surrogate decision maker for a patient lacking capacity; (2) Identify challenges a surrogate may face in making decisions on behalf of a patient; (3) Name one ethical standard guiding surrogate decision making; and (4) Discuss two approaches to help surrogate decision makers perform their role well.

Source: University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics, 2022
https://bioethics.umn.edu/events/who-ya-gonna-call-when-your-patients-cant-decide-themselves