Americans Ready to Talk About End of Life Care

A new report indicates that American’s are ready for more discussions about palliative and end of life care. The study, released at yesterday’s summit held by National Journal LIVE entitled “Living Well at the End of Life: A National Conversation,” surveyed hundreds of adults on issues relating to palliative care.

According to the report, 96% of Americans surveyed thought that making palliative care a priority for the health care system was important. This percentage was even greater for those participants who had personal experience with palliative care. About 81% of respondents also believed that palliative and end of life care should be covered by Medicare. The survey demonstrated that opinions about end of life care were not shaped by political persuasion, but instead by whether participants had previous experience with end of life care.

A panel of experts in the field of health and public policy voiced their pleasure with the study’s results. “It is important to honor a patient’s wishes when it comes to care. It is impossible to do that if we don’t know their wishes,” reasons Dr. Allen Lichter, Chief Executive Officer of the American Society for Clinical Oncology. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) personally agreed with the results, “I am not planning on passing away in the next 6 months, but this is a vital conversation for me to have with my family.”cans Ready to Talk About End of Life Care