Decision-making for hospitalized incarcerated patients lacking decisional capacity

Decision-making for hospitalized incarcerated patients lacking decisional capacity
JAMA Network, by Sarah Batbold, BS; Jennifer D. Duke, MD; Kirsten A. Riggan, MA, MS; Erin S. DeMartino, MD; 12/23
How does decision-making occur for hospitalized incarcerated persons lacking decisional capacity? In this qualitative study of documentation for 43 hospitalized incarcerated persons without decisional capacity, prison employees appeared to have been involved in decisions for half of the admissions, including participating in family meetings and being asked to authorize invasive procedures.
Editor's note: Also see this interesting invited commentary "Incapacitated and Incarcerated—Double Barriers to Care" by Alison E. Turnbull, DVM, MPH, PhD; Diana C. Bouhassira, MD; Brendan Saloner, PhD