La personne de confiance : guide pratique

Legislation in France (law of March 4, 2002) currently provides that patients must be informed that they may designate an agent to be their health care proxy. The law also defines the missions of this agent. The proxy, who is considered to have the patient's confidence, will provide the patient with support during health care and will have the power to express the patient's desires should he/she become unable to do so. The law of April 2005 concerning the rights of terminally ill patients further emphasizes the primary role of the health care proxy. Health care professionals and patients should be informed about the technical aspects of naming a health care proxy, the extent of the proxy's prerogatives and the relationship with the notion of professional secrecy.