尊重生命的選擇～淺淡病人自主權利法

Respect for Life - Brief Introduction of Patient Right to Autonomy

台灣在2015年底立法通過「病人自主權利法」，2019年1月6日實施，係亞洲首部保障病人權利之法律，爾後台灣民眾在自己生命選擇與權利、醫療自主的保障更為完整。「安寧緩和醫療條例」確保了末期病人的善終醫療權，但更多失能病人與因其他疾病受苦病人，卻無法如末期病人在清醒時就為自己的醫療權利作好決定，拒絕對於他們而言沒有意義的治療。「病人自主權利法」的制定係為尊重病人醫療自主、保障善終權益，促進醫病關係和諧，最主要的核心價值在於，具完全行為能力之意願人可以透過「預立醫療照護諮商－ACP」，立下書面「預立醫療決定－AD」，行使自己的權利或拒絕無意義的醫療處置介入。死亡是人生不可避免的終點，本文重點在討論如何讓自己最後一段路是有尊嚴，追求良好的死亡品質，不耗費不必要的醫療資源，尊重自己生命選擇，預約屬於自己的善終。

The “Patient Right to Autonomy Act” had been passed at the end of 2015 and implemented on January 6, 2019 in Taiwan. It is the first law to guarantee the rights of every patient. Taiwanese people now have complete assurance for life self-determination right and medical autonomy. “Hospice Palliative Care Act” ensure the good death for patients at terminal stage. However, for non-terminally ill incompetent patients with chronic diseases or disabilities, medical decisions are not made in time when they were competent. The “Patient Right to Autonomy Act” is established to have the patient's medical autonomy being respected, ensuring the right to good death and improving the doctor-patient relationship. The core value of the “Patient Right to Autonomy Act” is that anyone who is competent can have the advanced decisions in formal written document to execute their rights to reject certain medical interventions in specified circumstances after completing the advanced care plan. Death is inevitable in everyone's life. The article discusses how to reserve a good death and death quality with dignity by respecting everyone's own life choices and avoiding medical futility.