Early conversations with patients leads to better care

One year ago, the VCH End of Life program received a generous donation that enabled a three year project to shift the culture across VCH to one where conversations about patients’ wishes, values, and goals are conducted earlier in their illness trajectory rather than waiting until crisis or end of life.

iPACE project

This initiative is woven into all aspects of patient care, including how all healthcare clinicians can identify who can benefit from a palliative approach to care, have goals of care conversations and document them so that patients’ wishes are known to the healthcare team and respected across care settings.  The donation has funded the iPACE project (Integrating a Palliative Approach by having Conversations Early).

Based on similar and very successful work done over the last few years in residential care under the EPAIRS project (Embedding a Palliative Approach in Residential Care), we are expanding and supporting staff across VCH by introducing them to patient-tested and validated tools to assist them in implementing this initiative.

We have been working on translating our tools based on the most common languages that require interpreters in the healthcare setting in Greater Vancouver, and on training our translation partners on how to assist healthcare clinicians in having these conversations when patients/families do not speak English.

We would like to share with you our annual report, highlighting what we have accomplished in our first year.

Have you thought about your advance care plan?

Have you thought about what matters most to you as you think about your future? Have you had a conversation with your family, friends or substitute decision-makers?

To learn more about advance care plan planning in BC, check out http://www.speak-upinbc.ca/my-voice/