MDNews - Greater Boston

++++++++++++++++++ + +++ +DATA VAULT U +++ ++++++++++++++++++ A NEW DIRECTION PATIENTS MAY DROP THE BALL ON ADVANCE CARE PLANNING, BUT PHYSICIANS ARE WELL POSITIONED TO GET IT ROLLING AGAIN. MORTALITY IS A concept many wish to avoid, and as such, end-of-life care planning is often ignored until patients become seriously ill. However, research indicates elderly patients whose physicians initiate advance care planning discussions are as much as three times more likely to develop an advance directive. I AS PART OF a one-year study of chronically ill patients ages 65 and older and their primary care physicians, researchers reporting in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found satisfaction was greater among patients whose providers discussed advance directives with them. OF THE ROUGHLY 2.5 million people who died in DESPITE HAVING ACCESS to medical providers — who 2011 (the latest data available), nearly 75 percent bring perhaps the most informed insight to end- were age 65 or older. The leading cause of death of-life care planning — only 12 percent of elderly among this population was complications from patients who have advance directives planned them chronic disease, which can suddenly transition with guidance from a physician. As evidenced by from concerning to emergent, heightening the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality data, need for advance care planning. These chronic this lack of communication has consequences, diseases include: such as: + heart disease (26 percent) + under- or overtreatment due to vague instructions + chronic lower respiratory diseases (7 percent) + cerebrovascular disease (6 percent) (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "National Vital Statistics Reports, vol. 61, no. 6") 20 | Greater Boston MD NEWS I MDNEWS.COM in advance directive + decreased likelihood of patient preferences being documented in medical record + inconsistency between patients' CPR preferences and do-not-resuscitate orders

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