Also known as “Do Not Resuscitate” Orders, DNRs allow you to order doctors or other hospital personnel to withhold treatment in certain situations. Talk to our office about making a DNR Order a part of your estate planning documents. Texas recognizes In-Hospital DNRs and Out-of-Hospital DNRs. Although similar, Out-of-Hospital DNR Orders direct nonhospital staff, including emergency medical personnel. Typically, emergency medical personnel refer to paramedics and hospital emergency room personnel. In contrast, an In-Hospital DNR Order prohibits hospital personnel to administer life-saving or resuscitating medical treatments or techniques. In-Hospital DNR Orders direct hospital staff and prohibit them from administering life-saving or resuscitating techniques designed to resuscitate you. This three-part blog series deals only with Out-of-Hospital DNR Orders.
A validly created and signed OOH-DNR Order is valid in out-of-hospital facilities, including doctors’ offices, nursing homes, clinics and nonhospital emergency room settings. An OOH-DNR Order is effective outside of hospital settings. It tells emergency medical personnel to discontinue, refrain or continue providing life-saving treatments.
A Texas Out-of-Hospital DNR Order is only valid in certain form. You must use the written Texas DNR Order Form issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. The Texas “Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Order” or “OOH-DNR Order” is a simple form that you can fill out electronically or handwrite. You must sign your document and make sure your form complies with Chapter 166 of the Texas Health and Safety Code.
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