When a doctor and patient disagree about care at the end of life - The Washington Post

"As a resident, I approach most end-of-life conversations with a narrow focus: Confirm a code status and get the name of an emergency contact person. “Do you want to be resuscitated if you lost your pulse?” “Do you want to have a breathing tube if you were unable to breathe on your own?” “Whom should we contact in case of an emergency?” I needed to document answers to those questions to finish my patient-chart note. With my pager ringing and admissions arriving, I usually didn’t have time for anything else. The patients I speak to, however, want so much more out of their end-of-life conversations."

What matters is not the checklist -- it is asking the patient what his or her goals are.

When a doctor and patient disagree about care at the end of life - The Washington Post