Serious Illness Conversation Guide and Family Communication Guide

There are two Interesting articles in today’s Economist magazine about dying and having a good death.  (I will post separately about those articles.)  The articles mention this resource:

Serious Illness Conversation Guide
by Ariadne Labs (founded by Atul Gawande, MD)

The Guide is a one-page checklist for clinicians to find out what a terminally ill patient understands about his/her condition and prognosis.  It’s also a way for the clinician to learn what the patient’s goals are.  You can find the one-page guide for clinicians here:

www.ariadnelabs.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/Serious-Illness-Conversation-Guide-5.22.15.pdf

The Guide for physicians refers to the “Family Communication Guide.”  You can find this short guide here:

www.talkaboutwhatmatters.org/documents/Providers/SI-Family-Communication-Guide.pdf

This might be a useful resource to generate family discussion when someone has a neurological diagnosis.  “This booklet can help you talk with your loved ones about your illness and the future,” according to the guide.