Breast cancer survivor Renee Hilditch is making sure she receives the proper medical care.

Hilditch is one 30 local patients to record a "My Informed Decision on Video" statement, or MIDEO.

"I really would not want people to be hospitalized today, without MIDEO,” said medical director of UPMC Hamot’s Emergency Department Dr. Fred Mirarchi.  “Especially, if they have to have a living will or a serious medical condition."

Dr. Mirarchi is the lead author on a new national research report on end-of-life care.  The study found that living wills are prone to medical errors, due to misinterpretation of the patient’s wishes.

“What happens is you come into a healthcare setting and you're treated by strangers who don't know you and your wishes, and essentially, we have to guess on paper documents,” said Dr. Mirarchi.  “Quite frankly, that guess quite often is wrong.  It's wrong 50 percent of the time."

Dr. Mirarchi is urging patients to record a Resuscitation Safety Statement.

"That's a process where you meet with a physician or healthcare provider, and essentially talk about your safety wishes, whether it's respect to end of life wishes, or whether it's respect to aggressive care and treatment." Said Dr. Mirarchi.

Once the video is recorded, you're given an ID card, which can be scanned onto a cell phone, allowing doctors to see your request.

For more information on this service, visit: