HB 5447
Changes to the requirements for do not resusitate orders.
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- Passed House of Delegates
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill modifies West Virginia’s Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) law to recognize two distinct levels of DNR orders: DNR-CCA (Do Not Resuscitate - Comfort Care Arrest) and DNR-CC (Do Not Resuscitate - Comfort Care). These new categories allow for a broader range of medically indicated interventions to be provided until cardiac or respiratory arrest, while still prioritizing comfort care if a cardiac or respiratory arrest occurs. The bill requires hospitals and other healthcare facilities to update their policies and training to accommodate these new code statuses and standardize order forms to reflect them.
Key provisions
- Introduces two new DNR code statuses: DNR-CCA and DNR-CC.
- Requires hospitals and healthcare facilities to adopt policies and training reflecting these new code statuses.
- Mandates the inclusion of specific details on order forms, including discussions with patients/surrogates about interventions.
- Defines key terms related to DNR orders, such as ‘attending physician,’ ‘cardiopulmonary resuscitation,’ and ‘comfort care.’
- Specifies how healthcare providers must comply with DNR orders.
- Requires explicit specification of the code-status category (Full Code / DNR-CCA / DNR-CC) on all DNR orders.
- Establishes a process for capacity assessment and consent documentation.
- Clarifies the role of surrogate decision-makers.
Who is affected
- Patients receiving medical care
- Healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, EMTs, etc.)
- Hospitals and other healthcare facilities
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