Patient-centered care that honors patients' wishes for end-of-life care can improve patients' quality of life and reduce costs, according to a perspective piece published in JAMA Surgery and reported by UCLA.
The authors argue that providing aggressive care at the end of life may go against patients' wishes and results in significant costs. Instead, providers should take a patient-centered approach and make care decisions with the patient, the authors wrote.
The authors suggest several steps healthcare and policy leaders can take to make end-of-life care more patient-centered, according to the news release:
1. Educate medical residents on patient-centered care.
2. Consider changing Medicare policy to ensure only patients who want aggressive end-of-life treatment receive it.
3. Change hospital "scorecards," such as accreditation requirements, to reflect the importance of patient-centered care, especially at the end of patients' lives.
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The authors argue that providing aggressive care at the end of life may go against patients' wishes and results in significant costs. Instead, providers should take a patient-centered approach and make care decisions with the patient, the authors wrote.
The authors suggest several steps healthcare and policy leaders can take to make end-of-life care more patient-centered, according to the news release:
1. Educate medical residents on patient-centered care.
2. Consider changing Medicare policy to ensure only patients who want aggressive end-of-life treatment receive it.
3. Change hospital "scorecards," such as accreditation requirements, to reflect the importance of patient-centered care, especially at the end of patients' lives.
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