Background: Hospitalized patients who are at high-risk for mortality and readmission represent a unique population requiring tailored interventions to improve care outcomes. Advance care planning (ACP) conversations in the inpatient setting can help align care goals with patient preferences, yet their influence on measurable clinical outcomes in this vulnerable population is not well understood. Methods: [...]

Background: In Texas, the five-year survival rate for lung cancer is significantly lower compared to the national average with noted disparities in early diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is to assess sex, ethnic and racial differences in end-of-life healthcare utilization, advance care planning (ACP) and associated outcomes such as hospice use among [...]

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) conversations are essential for aligning care with patients’ values, particularly for high-risk hospitalized patients. However, there are limited tools in hospital medicine to identify and prompt clinicians to engage in ACP conversations effectively. Best Practice Alerts (BPAs) are commonly used in electronic medical records (EMRs) to streamline clinical workflows but [...]