Advanced Care Directives: Overcoming the Obstacles.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Advanced care directives (ACDs) and end-of-life discussions are important and typically difficult to initiate because of the sensitive nature of the topic and competing clinical priorities. Resident physicians need to have these conversations but often do not in their continuity clinics.

Objective

We implemented a program to (1) increase physician opportunity to discuss end-of-life wishes with their patients, and (2) improve residents' confidence in leading discussions regarding ACDs.

Intervention

A total of 95 residents in an academic outpatient internal medicine resident continuity clinic participated in a formalized curriculum (didactic sessions, simulations, and academic detailing). Clinic workflow alterations prompted the staff to question if patients

SUBMITTER: Allen SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4507937 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature