Written do-not-resuscitate orders: Issued only to qualified patients; physician authorized to apply for identification.
1. A physician licensed in this state may issue a written do-not-resuscitate order only to a patient who has been determined to be in a terminal condition.
2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, the order is effective only if the patient has agreed to its terms, in writing, while he is capable of making an informed decision.
3. If the patient is a minor, the order is effective only if:
(a) The parent or legal guardian of the minor has agreed to its terms, in writing; and
(b) The minor has agreed to its terms, in writing, while he is capable of making an informed decision if, in the opinion of the attending physician, the minor is of sufficient maturity to understand the nature and effect of withholding life-resuscitating treatment.
4. A physician who issues a do-not-resuscitate order may apply, on behalf of the patient, to the health authority for a do-not-resuscitate identification for that patient.
Last modified: February 26, 2006