The anticipated wills: analysis from the experiences in clinical ethics

Advances directives have been proposed in several countries of Latin America. The confusion among some clinical situations - rejection to treatments, treatment limitations, euthanasia requests - will lead some to reject anticipated will declarations, or drive others to defend them as a "previous step" towards possible euthanasia legislation. Both positions are wrong in our opinion, and the anticipated will declaration should be understood as one more step in deepening the informed consent process, especially in Primary Care, without making them only one more document for medical decision-making in critical situations.