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What do Terri Schiavo and most Americ ans
have in common?...Apple
a Day Films announces "Advance Medical Directives: Something to
Think About"
PROVIDENCE, R.I., March 22 /PRNewswire/
-- "Advance Medical Directives: Something to think about ... " is a
new and timely educational documentary, produced by Joshua Kreiss,
M.D., M.Phil, physician and filmmaker. The 14- minute film
demonstrates the importance of clarifying end-of-life wishes before
a medical event.
Endorsed by the Rhode Island
Attorney General, Department of Elderly Affairs, and Center for
Biomedical Ethics at Brown University, the film was shown by AG
Patrick Lynch at the National Association of Attorney General (NAAG)
meeting last week. Lynch said, "It's a truly useful health care
video...an important step to educating the public about the
importance of advance care planning."
A 32-year-old graduate of
Haverford College, Oxford University's Institute of Social and
Cultural Anthropology and graduate of Brown Medical School, Dr.
Kreiss said, "Do you think Terri Schiavo at 26 expected to suffer
from heart failure and spend fifteen years in a persistent
vegetative state? I've seen many cases that began with an unexpected
visit to the emergency room and evolved into a prolonged stay in the
intensive care unit. We should learn from the very difficult
circumstances surrounding the decision to prolong or end Terri
Schiavo's life."
During his medical training, Dr.
Kreiss was alarmed by how few patients had made their end-of-life
care wishes known in writing to their physicians and families.
Kreiss found that even patients with terminal illnesses often
overlooked the importance of documenting these wishes. Compelled by
his firsthand experiences, Kreiss produced this film to alert people
of all ages to the need for early consideration and decision making
in writing. He said, "It is our right to determine the end of life
care we want. Some may want all measures used to prolong life, while
others may not."
Acknowledging this widespread
problem Congress enacted the Patient Self Determination Act in 1991.
It requires patients in all federally funded institutions be
informed about their right to participate in health care decisions,
including their right to have an Advance Medical Directive. "This is
not a topic that is adequately covered in many medical school
curricula, but it is a right that every American has," said Kreiss.
"Advance Medical Directives:
Something to think about ... " provides concrete information about
how to ensure that a person's end-of-life wishes are known. Those
wishes, if documented properly, should direct the end-of- life care
one receives. The film features real patients in real life
circumstances as well as expert opinions from physicians and nurses.
This film, 'Apple a Day Films' most recent release, can be viewed,
along with endorsements, and purchased on line at
http://www.appleadayfilms.com/.
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