Don’t delay conversations about wishes and goals with patients who have serious or progressive chronic respiratory illness, such as COPD, IPF, PH, or CF. Unnecessary and potentially harmful treatments can be avoided by having discussions and documenting these conversations.

Supporting patients with serious or progressive respiratory illness to identify and document their values and treatment wishes is an important, but often neglected, intervention. While these patients often experience complex disease trajectories that make accurate prognostication challenging, these discussions can ensure future care is aligned with patients’ preferences.

 

For more information:

Jabbarian LJ, Zwakman M, van der Heide A, Kars MC, Janssen DJA, can Delden JJ, Rietjens JAC, Korfage IJ. Advance care planning for patients with chronic respiratory diseases: a systematic review of preferences and practices. Thorax. 2018 Mar;73(3):222-230. PMID: 29109233.

Tavares N, Hunt KJ, Jarrett N, Wilkinson TMA. The preferences of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are to discuss their palliative care plans with family respiratory clinicians, but to delay conversations until their conditions deteriorates: a study guided by interpretative phenomenological analysis. Pall Med. 2020 Dec;34(10):1361-1373. PMID: 32720555.