decision making

risk on life …

"The politics of death is bureaucracy, routine, rules, status quo. The politics of life is personal initiative, creativity, flair, dash, a little daring.   The politics of death is calculation, prudence, measured gestures. The politics of life is experience, spontaneity, grace, directness.   The politics of death is fear of youth. The politics of life […]

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decision making … principles & process …

principles …  Standard of Care … Know your medical facts – diagnosis – prognosis – treatment. Get second opinion … go to the literature.   Substituted judgment … “If for whatever reason you are unable to make your own medical decisions … Who should make them for you?”. Put yourself in the patient’s place –

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family needs …

… when their loved one is seriously ill … assure their loved one is receiving high quality care provide appropriate information adequate time to share perspectives and concerns accurate information about prognosis empathic communication and support trust anticipatory grief and bereavement   from Billing’s End of Life Family Meeting Part I: Indications, Outcomes, and Family Needs

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aligning treatment with patient needs …

Palliative care focuses on improving a patient’s quality of life by managing pain and other distressing symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care should be provided along with other medical treatments. Hospice is palliative care for patients in their last year of life. Hospice care can be provided in patients’ homes, hospice centers, hospitals, longterm

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it’s not just what the doctor tells me …

… factors that influence decision makers’ perceptions of prognosis … Boyd et al sought to determine what sources of knowledge family members/decision makers use when determining the prognosis of their loved ones. “Less than 2% (3 of 179) of surrogates reported that their beliefs about the patients’ prognoses hinged exclusively on prognostic information provided to

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