Patient Advocate or Proxy

Also referred to as patient representative, a surrogate designated by a competent adult to make health care decisions on his or her behalf in the event of losing decision-making capacity. The legal term applies only to a person appointed in a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare by a presumed competent adult. The proxy ordinarily makes decisions according to the limits specified by the individual executing the Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. The term "patient advocate" is also generally used by both professional and family caregivers who see themselves as acting in a particular patient’s best interests. In this sense, the use of the term "patient advocate" has been criticized by some as an inappropriate metaphor that confuses the proper role of the professional in relation to the patient [see Bernal, E., "The Nurse as Patient Advocate," Hastings Center Report 22, 4 (1992): 18-23].

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