What is an advance directive and what patient preferences does it typically address?

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An advance directive is a legal document that records what medical treatments you would want or not want if you become unable to speak for yourself, and it may name a trusted person to make decisions on your behalf. It helps ensure your values guide care when decisions must be made and can include goals of care, such as whether you want aggressive life-sustaining treatments, preferences about resuscitation and mechanical ventilation, and a plan for comfort-focused care. It may also appoint a healthcare proxy who can communicate your wishes to clinicians if you can’t. In many places it may cover organ or tissue donation and how you want pain and symptom control to be managed. This differs from documents about finances or property or non-medical preferences like visiting times or dietary rules, which do not govern medical decisions if you’re unable to participate.