Legislative recognition and implementation challenges of living wills in China
Abstract
The 2022 revision of China’s Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Medical Regulations marks the nation’s inaugural legislative recognition of “living wills” as legally binding instruments. However, the implementation of living wills in clinical practice encounters significant ethical challenges, influenced by traditional cultural norms, prevailing medical ethics standards, policy frameworks, healthcare resource allocation, and systemic constraints. To advance this end-of-life care paradigm, we propose a threefold strategy: (1) enhancing public education on death literacy and autonomy, (2) improving the legal procedures for establishing and implementing living wills, and (3) establishing a comprehensive national hospice care safeguard system. These measures are critical to ensuring the protection of terminally ill patients’ fundamental rights and dignity.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
Organ Donation and Transplantation
Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Philosophy Ethics and Humanities in Medicine
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1–1
- Publication date
- 8 January 2026
- Language
- EN