It’s Time to Talk
We’re here to help you have rewarding conversations with your patients about their care goals, preferences, and wishes near the end of life.
Download Our Tipsheet
Your Patients Are Ready
VITAS Healthcare commissioned nationwide studies in 2021 and 2022 that found the COVID-19 pandemic has made many Americans – especially younger Americans – more open to talking about their wishes and values for end-of-life care.
The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that:
- More people reported that they have documented their wishes this year (35.4% in 2022 versus 32% in 2021). That percentage is still a fraction of those who say it’s important or very important (68%) and those who have at least discussed their wishes (55.5%).
- This year, older Americans (55+) reported they are more likely to discuss advance care planning (73.1% in 2022 vs. 65% in 2021).
- Black Americans reported the largest increase in likelihood to document their end-of-life wishes: 39.4% in 2022 said they were likely to discuss or document their wishes, versus only 28% who said so in 2021.
- After partner/spouse and children, primary care provider was the most common response when asked with whom people would be comfortable having advance care planning conversations.
- However, 71.4% of those surveyed say their healthcare professionals have never initiated these important conversations with them, and for most people (54.9%) no one has brought it up.
Dr. Illeana Leyva and Dr. Eric Shaban, VITAS regional medical directors, give a step-by-step demonstration of how to approach a goals-of-care conversation.
You May Also Like
Suggesting Hospice to Your Patients with Advanced Illness
When a patient’s disease is incurable, or when life-prolonging treatment becomes ineffective, HCPs are confronted with the stressful task of communicating to patients that the end of life is near.
7 Things to Know About Advance Directives for Your Patients
The trick to knowing what your chronically ill patients want near the end of life is to have the goals-of-care conversation early, regularly and matter-of-factly.
A Hospice Discussion Guide for Families
VITAS provides a free hospice discussion guide for your patients and their loved ones, so they can agree on plans that align with their goals, needs, and wishes.
Billing for Advance Care Planning
Physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners can bill Medicare for the time they spend in face-to-face discussions about advance care planning (ACP) and end-of-life care decisions with their patients or their patient’s beneficiaries/surrogate.
