Why Do Earlier Conversations Help?

For the patient and family:

• Care aligns with patient goals
• Give patient and family time to make decisions
• patient can be connected to resources earlier rather than during a crisis
• Improves quality of life, patient satisfaction and bereavement outcomes

For the health care system:

• Increase patient satisfaction
• Decrease health care professional's moral distress
• Better utilization of palliative care resources
• Less unwanted and unnecessary medical intervention
• Fewer unwanted and unnecessary hospitalizations