In this article, we describe the methods developed in our
Medical Center to facilitate patients' understanding and
execution of an advance directive (Living Will, Treatment
Preferences, and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care). Our
approach takes advantage of the computerization of patient
records on the hospital mainframe, using automatically-generated
e-mail messages to the hospital's Advance Directives Consultation
Team. (Reprints available from the author: Henry A. Buchtel, Ph.D.,
Psychology Service 116B, Ann Arbor VA Medical Center, 2215 Fuller Road,
Ann Arbor MI 48105).