Goals of Care Conversations in Serious Illness: A Practical Guide

Abstract

Clinicians working with seriously ill patients need the skills to effectively communicate with patients and their families throughout the trajectory of illness. Common communication tasks that arise in the care of seriously ill patients include advance care planning, delivering serious news, discussing prognosis, eliciting values, and medical decision making. Clinicians often use goals of care conversations to facilitate these tasks. Similar to other procedures, goals of care conversations require a systematic, evidence-based approach to ensure quality and value. This article provides a framework that clinicians can follow to effectively communicate with seriously ill patients and families and promote patient-centered care.

Keywords: Communication; Goals of care; Prognosis; Serious illness care; Values and preferences.