The Effects of DNR Orders on Post-Surgical Outcomes
April 24, 2011
If you happened to read WebMD the other day you would have seen an article with the headlines ‘DNR Orders…
The Clinician’s Role in Identifying Loss of Financial Capacity
February 15, 2011
“Mom’s been writing goofy checks…” “Dad stopped paying his bills….” “Grandma wired her savings to Nigeria…” Have you heard these phrases…
Legal Restrictions Compromise Effectiveness of Advance Directives
January 23, 2011
Imagine that you are caring for Ted, a patient in hospice who would like to go from Los Angeles to…
Death Panel Legacy
January 5, 2011
Yesterday, legislation that would have reimbursed physicians for advance care planning discussions was stripped from Medicare regulations related to the…
One Failing of POLST – “Full Treatment” is Needed for All Patients
September 22, 2010
Medicine is much like politics. Both fields have an affinity to condense complicated multifaceted issues into value-laden phrases that add…
Advance Care Planning: A Paradigm Shift
August 30, 2010
What is the purpose of Advance Care Planning? I have been taught to view the goal as helping patients define…
The breadth of life-sustaining treatment
June 25, 2010
In a recent story in the New York Times, Katy Butler described her parents’ experiences with illness, the health care…
Health Status Does Not Equal Quality of LIfe
June 3, 2010
Advance Care Planning · Communication · End-of-Life · Geriatrics · Healthcare · Quality of Life · Relationships · Research · Seniors
If you asked clinical researchers to describe the most important advances in research methodology over the past generation, many would…
Advance directives say “I’m not dead yet”
May 3, 2010
“Enough. The living will has failed, and it is time to say so.” So said Angela Fagerlin and Carl Schneider…
POLST: Standardizing End-of-Life Orders rather than Patient Communication
April 20, 2010
Over the last 30 years we have tried to standardize patient communication about end-of-life issues though the utilization of statutory…