Mid-Atlantic primary care providers’ perception of barriers and facilitators to end-of-life conversation

Mid-Atlantic primary care providers’ perception of barriers and facilitators to end-of-life conversation
Palliative Care and Social Practice; by Melanie A. Horning, Barbara Habermann; 8/24
Primary care providers are ideal people to facilitate end-of-life conversations, but these conversations rarely occur in the out-patient setting. Reported barriers in descending order included resistance from patients and families, insufficient time, and insufficient understanding of prognosis and associated expectations. Reported facilitators in descending order included established trusting relationship with provider, physical and/or cognitive decline and poor prognosis; and discussion standardization per Medicare guidelines. The involvement of primary care providers is associated with earlier ACP [advance care planning].