Legal Definitions - out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order

An out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order is a legal document that a person can sign to indicate that they do not want to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if their heart stops or they stop breathing outside of a hospital or similar facility. This order is also known as an OOH-DNR order.

For example, if a person has a terminal illness and they do not want to be resuscitated if their heart stops while they are at home or in a nursing home, they can sign an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order. This order will inform healthcare professionals that they should not perform CPR if the person's heart stops.

Another example is if a person has a chronic medical condition and they do not want to be resuscitated if their heart stops while they are at a public place, such as a park or a shopping mall. They can sign an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order to ensure that their wishes are respected.

Overall, an out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate order is a way for a person to make their end-of-life wishes known and to ensure that they receive the care that they want and need.