Patient Right to Autonomy Act Article 14

Should a patient, who has made an advance decision, meet any one of the following clinical conditions, the medical institution or physician may, in accordance with the advance decision, partially or fully terminate, withdraw, or withhold life-sustaining treatments, artificial nutrition and hydration:1. The patient is terminally ill.2. The patient is in an irreversible coma.3. The patient is in permanent vegetative state.4. The patient is suffering from severe dementia.5. Other disease conditions, announced by the central competent authority, that shall meet all of the following requirements that the conditions or sufferings are unbearable, that the disease is incurable and that there are no other appropriate treatment options available given the medical standards at the time of the disease’s occurrence.The clinical conditions stipulated in all of the subparagraphs of the preceding paragraph must be diagnosed by two physicians in relevant specialties and confirmed through at least two consultations convened by the palliative care team.Should a medical institution or physician, acting in accordance with its, his or her professional expertise or wishes, be unable to implement a patient’s advance decision, it, he or she may refuse to implement the advance decision.Should the situation as described in the preceding paragraph occur, the medical institution or physician shall inform the patient or parties concerned.A medical institution or physician shall not be subject to criminal or administrative liability when it, he or she terminates, withdraws or withholds life-sustaining treatment and/or artificial nutrition and hydration in accordance with the regulations in this article; they shall bear no responsibility of compensation for the damage incurred, unless intentional or grossly negligent conduct and violation of the advance decision of patients are involved.