New push for straight talk between doctors, patients about end-of-life care

WASHINGTON — Dr. Angelo Volandes remembers performing rib-cracking CPR on a frail elderly man dying of lung cancer, a vivid example of an end-of-life dilemma: Because his patient never said if he wanted aggressive care as his body shut down, the hospital had to try. He died days later.

Years later, the Harvard Medical School researcher now tries to spur conversations about what care patients want during life’s final chapter through videos that illustrate different options.

“This is about patient empowerment,” said Volandes, who describes his program in a new book aptly titled “The Conversation”.

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