Anderson Nick
Wash Law Rev. 2003 Aug;78(3):795-829.
Mental health care advance directives are gaining popularity nationwide. Following a growing trend, the Washington State Legislature has recently passed a law allowing patients to draft mental health care advance directives that could be irrevocable. Patients who sign an irrevocable directive essentially waive their fundamental right to refuse treatment in the future. The United States Supreme Court has held that waivers of fundamental rights must be made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently. However, as passed, Washington's new law contains insufficient safeguards to guarantee such a waiver. This Comment proposes that the Washington State Legislature amend this law the require two additional protections: a "rights advocate" to explain the potential waiver of rights, and a written warning in the advance directive form. These safeguards will help ensure that patients make knowing and intelligent waivers of their fundamental right to refuse treatment.
精神卫生保健预先指示在全国范围内越来越受欢迎。随着这一趋势的发展，华盛顿州立法机构最近通过了一项法律，允许患者起草不可撤销的精神卫生保健预先指示。签署不可撤销指示的患者实际上放弃了他们未来拒绝治疗的基本权利。美国最高法院认为，放弃基本权利必须是明知、自愿和明智的。然而，就目前通过的情况来看，华盛顿州的新法律缺乏足够的保障措施来确保这种放弃是有效的。本评论建议华盛顿州立法机构修订该法律，要求增加两项额外的保护措施：一名“权利倡导者”来解释潜在的权利放弃，以及在预先指示表格中提供书面警告。这些保障措施将有助于确保患者明知且明智地放弃他们拒绝治疗的基本权利。
