A physician's guide to talking about end-of-life care.
A large majority of patients and close family members are interested in discussing end-of-life issues with their physician. Most expect their physician to initiate such dialogue. End-of-life discussions, however, must go beyond the narrow focus of resuscitation. Instead, such discussions should address the broad array of concerns shared by most dying patients and families: fears about dying, understanding prognosis, achieving important end-of-life goals, and attending to physical needs. Good communication can facilitate the development of a comprehensive treatment plan that is medically sound and concordant with the patient's wishes and values. This paper presents a practical 4-step approach to conducting end-of-life discussions with patients and their families: (1) Initiating Discussion, (2) Clarifying Prognosis, (3) Identifying End-of-Life Goals, and (4) Developing a Treatment Plan. By following these 4 steps, communication can be enhanced, fears allayed, pain and suffering minimized, and most end-of-life issues resolved comfortably, without conflict.
Balaban
R B
RB
Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, Mass, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. rbalaban@massmed.org
D016223:Advance Directives / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D003643:Death; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016414:Resuscitation Orders; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States