Which federal law focuses on providing patients with rights in making healthcare decisions?

The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) is designed specifically to ensure that patients are informed of their rights to make decisions regarding their medical care. This includes the right to accept or refuse treatment and the right to make advance directives, which are legal documents that allow individuals to convey their wishes regarding medical treatment in the event that they become unable to communicate those wishes themselves.

The PSDA mandates that healthcare providers must inform patients about these rights and document whether the patients have an advance directive in their medical records. By emphasizing patient autonomy and informed consent, this law plays a crucial role in empowering individuals to participate actively in their healthcare decisions. It also promotes awareness and planning regarding end-of-life care.

In contrast, while the other laws mentioned do play important roles in healthcare, they do not specifically focus on patient rights in decision-making. For example, HIPAA primarily addresses the protection of patient privacy and the confidentiality of health information. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act emphasizes access to insurance and healthcare affordability rather than individual decision-making rights. The Federal Health Care Quality Improvement Act is concerned with improving healthcare quality and protecting patients from unfit providers, rather than directly ensuring patient autonomy in their treatment decisions.