Who Should Assess CapacityPrimary c

Who Should Assess Capacity
Primary care physicians are qualified to perform capacity assessments. There are several reasons why a patient's primary care physician may be the best professional to assess capacity1,7: (1) the primary physician already knows the patient's medical circumstances and the question to be decided; (2) the primary physician may have the best opportunity to know the patient's and their family's personal values and cultural and religious views; (3) the primary physician has the benefit of history, so that the assessment is not a one-visit snapshot of a patient but is a longitudinal and more thorough assessment based on multiple interactions; and (4) the primary physician, because of an ongoing medical relationship with the patient, is in the best position to reevaluate capacity in the future.