Discussing Overall Prognosis with the Very Elderly

Alexander K. Smith, M.D., M.P.H., Brie A. Williams, M.D., and Bernard Lo, M.D.

N Engl J Med 2011; 365:2149-2151December 8, 2011DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1109990

Though life expectancy inexorably decreases with advancing age, we tend to avoid discussing overall prognosis with elderly patients who have no dominant terminal illness. But we may thereby undercut patients' ability to make informed choices about their future.

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Source Information

From the Division of Geriatrics (A.K.S., B.A.W.) and the Division of General Internal Medicine (B.L.), Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (A.K.S., B.A.W.) — both in San Francisco.

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Common Medical Decisions and Life Choices That Offer Opportunities to Discuss Overall Prognosis with Very Elderly Patients.

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