The surrogate decisionmaker often is a spouse, adult child, adult sibling or close friend. Your agent or other surrogate is to make decisions that conform with what you would do if you had the capacity to decide. If your wishes are unknown and unknowable, your surrogate will make decisions based on what would further your best interests. Your health care providers have both an ethical and a legal obligation to keep medical information about you confidential. Without your authorization, your health care professionals may release medical information about you only under certain limited circumstances.
Hospitals have a duty to treat any patient who requires immediate attention.
Most hospitals have procedures whereby all patients who come to the hospital for emergency treatment are assessed and either treated there or stabilized and referred to an appropriate facility. Generally, you do. Exceptions apply in certain limited circumstances. For example, when a child requires immediate medical care and his or her parents are not available, the doctor may proceed to treat the child. Also, for certain types of treatment, such as treatment for venereal disease, the law authorizes minors to consent to treatment without informing their parents.