A legal document that guides medical decisions if a patient becomes unable to communicate.

• A. Advanced Directive
• B. Living Will
• C. Power of Attorney
• D. Informed Consent

Answer: (A)

When a patient can no longer communicate, medical decisions should follow a plan created in advance to reflect that person’s wishes. An advance directive is the legal document that does this: it either states the patient’s treatment preferences or designates someone (a healthcare proxy) to make decisions for them. Because it directly guides care in situations where there’s no input from the patient, it’s the best answer.

A living will is a type of advance directive that focuses on end-of-life choices, but it’s narrower in scope and doesn’t automatically appoint a decision-maker for all medical situations. A healthcare power of attorney (or proxy) designates someone to decide if the patient can’t, but without explicit instructions, the decisions might not fully align with the patient’s preferences. Informed consent is the process of agreeing to specific treatments while capable, not a plan for decisions during incapacity.