The advance directive (AD), also known as a living will, is a document addressed to the physician in charge, in which a person of legal age, with sufficient capacity and of their own free will, gives the instructions to be considered when they are in a state of illness, in which circumstances do not allow them to personally express their will in relation to the care they are to receive. The document also designates a representative to act as a valid interlocutor with the physician or health care team if the patient is unable to express their will on their own behalf.

The objective of the AD is to maintain respect for the personal decisions of patients, to preserve their autonomy when deciding about their health, which is an ethically and legally validated right, and to increase the safety of professionals when respecting those decisions.

This document must be signed and witnessed by a notary public, by three witnesses at a patient care department or by a sanitarian professional.

It must be included in the medical records of the patient. If you visit our hospital, we can perform this procedure for you.

To facilitate access for professionals who need to take the AD into account, the document can be entered into the Register of Advance Directives of the Department of Health. This means that the document is part of the patient’s Shared Clinical Records of Catalonia and can also be viewed in the rest of Spain through the Spanish National Register of Advance Directives.

Entry in the register is completely voluntary and even if the AD is not registered, it will be valid provided that the requirements established by law (signing and witnessing by a notary public, three witnesses or sanitarian professional).

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