Background: Reversing the life trajectory of hospitalized patients can be challenging. Sixty percent of Americans die in acute care hospitals. Identification of the patient care goals and directives frequently happens after many days of aggressive, uncomfortable and costly interventions at the hospital. We aimed to elucidate if identification of care goals earlier in Intensive Care [...]

Background: Hospitalists have an increasing role in caring for patients with advanced illness. Due to time constraints, lack of experience and the sensitivity of the topic, it is challenging for Hospitalists to engage in adequate conversations regarding advanced care planning. Moreover, when these conversations do occur, documentation of Advanced Directives and Code Status is frequently [...]

Case Presentation: The patient is a 74 year old woman with past medical history of dementia and an aggressive right upper lobe cavitary mass who presented with post-obstructive pneumonia. The lung mass was diagnosed two years prior, however the patient refused further workup. The patient named her two daughters to be dual healthcare powers of [...]