If a legally designated surrogate becomes the client's decision-making agent, an advocate should—

If a legally designated surrogate becomes the client's decision-making agent, an advocate should—

• A. An advocate should faithfully convey the client's relevant medical history and any personal conversations expressing wishes to the surrogate.
• B. An advocate should hide personal conversations from the surrogate to protect confidentiality.
• C. An advocate should only convey medical history if the surrogate asks in writing.
• D. An advocate should directly make decisions for the client when a surrogate is involved.

Answer: (A)

When a legally designated surrogate acts as the client’s decision-maker, an advocate’s responsibility is to support informed, patient-aligned decisions by ensuring the surrogate has the necessary information. This means faithfully conveying the client’s relevant medical history and any personal conversations in which the patient expressed wishes or values that should guide care. Sharing these details helps the surrogate understand what the patient would have wanted, enabling decisions that reflect the patient’s preferences rather than the advocate’s own views. It also upholds autonomy by giving the surrogate the context needed to act in line with the patient’s values. The advocate should not withhold information or take over decision-making themselves; instead, they facilitate the surrogate’s ability to decide in accordance with the patient’s wishes.

When a legally designated surrogate acts as the client’s decision-maker, an advocate’s responsibility is to support informed, patient-aligned decisions by ensuring the surrogate has the necessary information. This means faithfully conveying the client’s relevant medical history and any personal conversations in which the patient expressed wishes or values that should guide care. Sharing these details helps the surrogate understand what the patient would have wanted, enabling decisions that reflect the patient’s preferences rather than the advocate’s own views. It also upholds autonomy by giving the surrogate the context needed to act in line with the patient’s values. The advocate should not withhold information or take over decision-making themselves; instead, they facilitate the surrogate’s ability to decide in accordance with the patient’s wishes.