Sec. 5653.

(1) As used in this part:

(a) "Advanced illness", except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, means a medical or surgical condition with significant functional impairment that is not reversible by curative therapies and that is anticipated to progress toward death despite attempts at curative therapies or modulation, the time course of which may or may not be determinable through reasonable medical prognostication. For purposes of section 5655(b) only, "advanced illness" has the same general meaning as "terminal illness" has in the medical community.

(b) "Health facility" means a health facility or agency licensed under article 17.

(c) "Hospice" means that term as defined in section 20106.

(d) "Medical treatment" means a treatment including, but not limited to, palliative care treatment, or a procedure, medication, surgery, a diagnostic test, or a hospice plan of care that may be ordered, provided, or withheld or withdrawn by a health professional or a health facility under generally accepted standards of medical practice and that is not prohibited by law.

(e) "Patient" means an individual who is under the care of a physician.

(f) "Patient advocate" means that term as described and used in sections 5506 to 5515 of the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.5506 to 700.5515.

(g) "Patient surrogate" means the parent or legal guardian of a patient who is a minor or a member of the immediate family, the next of kin, or the legal guardian of a patient who has a condition other than minority that prevents the patient from giving consent to medical treatment.

(h) "Physician" means that term as defined in section 17001 or 17501.

(2) Article 1 contains general definitions and principles of construction applicable to all articles in this code.

History: Add. 1996, Act 594, Eff. Mar. 31, 1997 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 58, Eff. Apr. 1, 2000 ;-- Am. 2001, Act 239, Imd. Eff. Jan. 8, 2002 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 551, Imd. Eff. Jan. 3, 2005 Popular Name: Act 368