Question

Annie is proud of herself for already having a living will on record. When she gave to it her physician's assistant, she said, "Research says that you are one of _____of patients 18 years of age and older with a living will."

Answer 1

A living will is a legal document indicating a person's healthcare preferences if they become incapacitated, and may include appointing a healthcare proxy.

Step-by-step explanation:

Individuals are increasingly handling important end-of-life decisions like living wills and medical power of attorney in advance. A living will is a legal document that details a person's healthcare preferences in the event they become incapacitated. A physician's assistant may encounter these documents as they are integral in respecting patient autonomy and ensuring their wishes are followed. Furthermore, healthcare proxies are often part of a living will, assigning a person to make decisions on behalf of the patient if they are unable to do so themselves. This proactive approach to healthcare decisions is reflective of an individual's culture, religion, and personal views on quality of life and dignity. In the context of the student's question, if Annie is saying that she is among a certain proportion of patients with a living will, she could be indicating a statistical minority or majority, depending on the prevalence of living wills in her age group, which requires more specific data to determine.