Should a patient rely on family members to make an "right decision" when it comes to an medical procedure?

this is my annotated essay and I need a few views from other people

Now I am going to assume to that your are asking advise on a procedure that you need to have done.
You can certainly ask anyone in your family their opinion , but ultimately the decision is YOURS to make. Make an informed decision. You look at all the pro / cons of the situation and decide what is best for you.
Now if you are talking about and I will throw in what they are called in different state. HEALTH CARE PROXY, LIVING WILL, ADVANCED DIRECTIVE, You should pick the person that will HONOR YOUR WISHES and do EXACTLY what you have written down on this paper regarding your health care decisions should you become incapable of making these decisions for youself.
YOU MUST PICK SOMEONE WHO WILL NOT CAVE INTO PRESSURE FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY.
I tell you this because many times I have seen things done to patients that are strictly against their wishes because the person who holds the control does not agree with it and have had patients put on ventilators, had other life support measures done to them all because the family member couldn't bear not to just follow the wishes of the person. While all people have different reasons for what they decide and I respect that. They should have never agreed to be in charge if they couldn;t do EXACTLY what was asked of them. Yes it is hard to make these decisions but ultimately you should do what ever it was that your family member wanted whether you agree with it or not.

Yes,always cross check with different doctors and along with family members also with near friend and colleauges.Because it depends how is your family members.But it is good to take decission and help from all around.

Never. Specially if more than one are allowed to. There will always be a disagreement. It is always better to ask the person the "What If" questions when they are able to talk and communicate. Sometimes family members will make decisions that maybe the patient will regret once he/she is aware of it. Even close family not always knows what each other wants. It would be the wisest thing to talk to thepatient if conscious and if not then ask the closest member to her, hopefully they know her enough.

I think everyone should have a DPA (Duable Power of Attorney in California, I don't know what it's called in other states) that lists your decisions and preferances made while you were conscious and aware regarding what to do with medical procedures etc. in times of unconsciousness or if you were unable to speak for yourself. Family may choose something that you did not want or wouldn't choose consciously. I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses, so I don't accept blood transfusions. I wouldn't want a family member to go against my wishes in this matter.

The family needs to have this discussion long before the patient is in a situation where they depend on someone's decision. Some people want to be supported all the way (even if they are in a vegetative state), but there are many people who would not want to be supported/on a ventillator. Therefore, every person needs to make his/her desires known to people in the family to make the decision easier. Also, it helps to have it in writing, in case a family member making the decision does not agree with the wishes of the patient.

No I don't think people should rely on family members to make the right decision on a medical procedure because every family member thinks differently and would want it their way. I say everyone should make a will regardless how old you are so if there was ever an accident or whatever else the case would be then there will be no regrets or hard feelings with the family.

No. Make out a living will so that your wishes will be carried out. Health care is vitally important to everyone. Wherever you are, whatever the situation, you want to be sure you receive appropriate treatment. But even more importantly, you want your decisions to be honored.

The United States Supreme Court guarantees you the right to make those choices, even when you are too sick to make your wishes known. This right gives you control and protects your dignity. But how can you be sure that your choices will be honored if you're incapacitated?

Every American, regardless of age, faces this question. If you plan now, you can make sure you get the kind of care you want, and relieve your family of burdensome decisions.

Depends entirely on the condition of the patient. If he/she is of sound mind and able to understand the medical issues of treatment, then the ultimate decision should be the patient's. However, that is not to say that discussion and feed back with family members cannot also be valuable in the decision-making process.