Patients with advanced cancer want and need to partner with their care team to make treatment decisions that reflect their own values and align with what matters most. «Serious illness conversations» include two equally important parts: clinicians sharing information on prognosis and treatment options, and patients and their loved ones sharing their values and preferences. Despite professional guidelines recommending early serious illness conversations for all patients with advanced cancer, many times these conversations occur late or not at all.
Improving serious illness communication for patients with advanced cancer
Patients with advanced cancer want and need to partner with their care team to make treatment decisions that reflect their own values and align with what matters most. "Serious illness conversations" include two equally important parts: clinicians sharing information on prognosis and treatment options, and patients and their loved ones sharing their values and preferences. Despite professional guidelines recommending early serious illness conversations for all patients with advanced cancer, many times these conversations occur late or not at all.