Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Experts Call For Reimbursing Doctors For Planning End-Of-Life Care
Physician incentives are needed to improve end of life care in the U.S., health experts said Friday at an Institute of Medicine (IOM) forum. The forum convened at the National Academy of Sciences to discuss action on the recommendations of the IOMs seminal fall report, Dying in America. (Belisomo, 3/23)
Dr. Angelo Volandes remembers performing rib-cracking CPR on a frail elderly man dying of lung cancer, a vivid example of an end-of-life dilemma: Because his patient never said if he wanted aggressive care as his body shut down, the hospital had to try. He died days later. Years later, the Harvard Medical School researcher now tries to spur conversations about what care patients want during life's final chapter through videos that illustrate different options. (Neergaard, 3/23)
More than half of people with Alzheimers disease, or their caregivers, have never been told by their doctors that they have the condition, according to a new study from the Alzheimers Association, a nonprofit advocacy group. We are alarmed. This means that people are being robbed of the opportunity to make important decisions about their lives, says Beth Kallmyer, the associations vice president of constituent services. (Beck, 3/23)
