New York, NY — A recent survey from the John A. Hartford Foundation found that while most doctors believe its important to have conversations with their elderly patients about end-of-life-care, they are not provided with the support they need from their health systems and almost half frequently or sometimes feel unsure of what to say. They’re ill-equipped; many aren’t sure when the right time would be to have these conversations or just don’t flat out don’t have time to have them in the first place.
Why it Matters:
Due to the new Medicare reimbursement for end-of-life conversations, 75% of physicians say they are more likely to have these conversations. However, most are feel unsure about their ability to do so well. On the other side of the conversation, more and more patients are beginning to take charge of their end-of-life care decisions (see “First Visit, Second Opinion” in our 2016 Health Trends). This shifting landscape means its imperative for HCPs to be prepared to engage and help patients make the correct decisions for them. The gap that currently exists in their preparedness may be something that a number of different health care entities (brands, health systems, payers, etc) can work together to help solve.
