Palliative Medicine

"Advance care planning (ACP) conversations and goals of care (GOC) discussions prepare patients and their substitute decision makers for medical decision making. When rooted in a patient's values and person-centred in approach, ACP and GOC discussions can optimize the likelihood a person receives care that is concordant with their goals. This chapter explores the definitions and clinical processes for ACP and GOC discussions and describes how a patient's values and goals can directly inform medical decision making. Differences in ACP among healthy individuals and seriously ill, common communication challenges and the pitfalls of a treatment-centered approach are described. We underscore the importance of illness understanding and provide tips on addressing prognosis. Finally, health care system impacts of ACP and GOC are considered"--

keywords:

Pain Medicine, Nursing, Terminal care nursing, Palliative treatment, Palliative medicine