Contributions from the values history to the right to die with dignity

Keywords: Values history, Advance directives document, Advance care planning, Right to die, End-of-life care, Dementia, Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The values history (VH) is a valuable tool of the advance care planning (ACP) process for all patients – regardless of health status - and may ultimately lead to the drafting of a document. This article outlines the benefits of VH as a process of personal reflection and as a document—either standalone or attached to an advance directives document (ADD)—to guide surrogate decision-making. The implementation of VH is advocated within ACP programs and the right to die with dignity. Likewise, the article supports establishing ACP as a standard practice for every individual and in every healthcare institution, regardless of the level of care complexity, with the aim of integrating the set of rights or legal powers that enable the right to die with dignity in Colombia.

Author Biographies

Ana Milena Álvarez Acuña, Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, Universidad Industrial de Santander. Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Pain and Palliative Care, Fundación Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud. Bogotá, Colombia.

Department of Bioethics, Universidad El Bosque. Bogotá, Colombia.

Boris Julián Pinto Bustamante, Department of Bioethics, Universidad El Bosque. Bogotá, Colombia.

School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario. Bogotá, Colombia.

Master in Medical Law, Universidad Externado de Colombia. Bogotá, Colombia.

Bioethics, ONG Paliativos Sin Fronteras del País Vasco. País Vasco, Spain.

Advisory Committee of Regional 1, Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Network.

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How to Cite
1.
Álvarez Acuña AM, Pinto Bustamante BJ. Contributions from the values history to the right to die with dignity. Colomb. J. Anesthesiol. [Internet]. 2025 Jul. 23 [cited 2026 Jan. 19];54(1). Available from: https://www.revcolanest.com.co/index.php/rca/article/view/1163

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Published
2025-07-23
How to Cite
1.
Álvarez Acuña AM, Pinto Bustamante BJ. Contributions from the values history to the right to die with dignity. Colomb. J. Anesthesiol. [Internet]. 2025 Jul. 23 [cited 2026 Jan. 19];54(1). Available from: https://www.revcolanest.com.co/index.php/rca/article/view/1163
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