Oncology Times: For an encouraging vision into the future of end-of-life planning, check out “Engaging Patients And Their Loved Ones In The Ultimate Conversation” in the new issue ofHealth Affairs (subscription required.)
The article by Maureen Bisognano and Ellen Goodman tells how the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is working with the Conversation Project to ensure “that the nation’s health systems and providers have the skills to respect” end-of-life wishes.
On first glance, Goodman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, may seem like the big name here. After her mother died without having “the conversation” about her end-of-life wishes, Goodman started a grassroots organization—appropriately called The Conversation Project—to help other families avoid that situation.
In the health policy world, however, it is hard to overstate the influence of Maureen Bisognano, president and CEO of IHI. To refresh your memory, IHI is the organization that essentially started the healthcare quality improvement movement that has revolutionized healthcare delivery in the last few decades.