Dr. Emanuel responded to the study in an accompanying editorial and said the findings on end-of-life care were good.
“It is also much better than it was 35 years ago when research on how to improve end-of-life care was just beginning,” Dr. Emanuel wrote.
But “there are still too many hospitalizations at the end of life. We need to make end-of-life care easier to use.”
End-of-life care should start sooner, Dr. Emanuel suggests.
“We need to be willing to acknowledge six or 12 months beforehand that a patient is not doing well and that death is going to happen,” he said. “For 30 years we have focused on the last month or last few months of life. We need to broaden that out to the last six to 12 months and begin interventions earlier.”
More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:
Houston hospital’s heart transplant program to lose Medicare funding Aug. 17
10 things emergency department patients want during a hospital stay
Outpatient follow-up visits linked to fewer hospital readmissions, study finds
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.