Advance Directives
You have the right under Connecticut law to make decisions in advance about your medical treatment. These decisions will be honored even if you become unable to make or communicate them. You also have the right to determine in advance who can make decisions for you regarding life support or medical treatment, should you be unable to express those wishes yourself.
All patients admitted to Stamford Hospital will receive a packet of information about advance directives and will be asked if they have a living will or an appointed healthcare agent. They will receive samples of such directives. Patients who have advance directives should bring those legal documents to the hospital. Please ask your nurse if you need additional copies of the information you received on admission.
Informed Consent
To be sure patients understand their medical options, Stamford Hospital requires that a patient's informed consent be obtained and documented before certain treatments or procedures. Your physician is responsible for explaining the nature of the procedure or treatment and for discussing the possible benefits as well as the foreseeable risks and alternatives. Completed consent forms will be part of your medical record. If you wish to discuss the treatment or procedure in greater detail before signing these forms, please contact your physician.
Organ Donation
All patients admitted to Stamford Hospital will receive a packet of information regarding organ donation. The hospital works in cooperation with the New England Organ Bank, a non-profit agency whose mission is to recover, preserve and distribute human organs and tissues for transplantation. If you have questions, please ask your nurse.
Discharge Against Medical Advice
Patients are discouraged from leaving the hospital against medical advice. If you wish to leave against medical advice, you will be asked to sign a Discharge Against Medical Advice form. Your physician and, when appropriate, your family will be notified if you are making this request.
Ethics
There may be times when you or your family (if you are unable to make decisions) feels uncertain of or may be in conflict with your plan of care. In this event, your healthcare team will work with you and/or your family to reach a resolution. The Stamford Hospital Ethics Committee is also available to help resolve conflicts. A formal procedure has been established to ask for this consultation. Your physician or nurse can assist you in this process.
Do Not Resuscitate
A Do Not Resuscitate order (DNR) is a written order by a physician which states that in the event of a respiratory or cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitative measures (CPR) will not be initiated. This order is made in conjunction with the patient's wishes.
Other Life Support Decisions
A DNR order may include a specification that medical personnel refrain from initiating other life support measures such as intubation, mechanical ventilation, or certain other medications and treatments.
No DNR order will be issued pending resolution of any conflict that may arise among parties involved.