Kidney Disease Patients Want Advance Planning, Not Necessarily Getting It

A recent survey done by Dr. Sara N. Davidson of the University of Alberta revealed that nearly half of patients with chronic kidney disease want to discuss advance healthcare planning with their physician but only ten percent discussed it with their nephrologist and only 10 percent had done so with their family doctor. Most patients surveyed reported that they weren't aware of the palliative care option and didn't know what to expect in the final weeks of their life. Come on doctors, you've got to do better here. I don't have much more to say about these discouraging numbers than what I said in my last blog post. Be sure to read how I feel about mandatory disclosure of patient's options and take the poll.