Med News Today

Physician Talks Truth About End-of-Life Care

Time magazine interviewed Dr. Laurie Jacobs, vice chairman of the Department of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, about the real issues concerning end-of-life care that has many people - stirred up by the un-truths fostered by the right-wing media - foaming at the mouth and screaming so loudly they can hear the truth.

Here is a sampling of her interview:

How important is Medicare reimbursement for doctors counseling patients about end-of-life care?
For some people one conversation is enough, and you get the whole picture and they tell you exactly what they want. For other people, 10 conversations in 10 weeks won't suffice. Coverage for this is expensive, but I think offering it is a wonderful first step in highlighting the importance of it by paying for it.

What kind of end-of-life-care counseling do you provide to your patients? How does it work?
Many patients have chronic illness and some disability or medical issue, and part of providing care is to speak with them about what to expect with their illness, what alternatives exist, and to have a conversation about what their preferences are. This shouldn't just happen at the end of life. You should get to know people and have these conversations throughout providing care. I like to talk individually with the patient if they are comfortable with that. If they are more comfortable with having family members there at the time, then I do it with the group. What I need to know from the patients is how they view their illness in the context of their life. Did they know somebody else with the same condition and therefore they have some [preconceived] idea about this? What are their values? How to they want to live their life? I also talk to them about whether there is someone who could make decisions for them if they are unable in the future.

posted by nattietodd @ 1:53 PM