The Ethics of Shared Medical Decision Making in a Time of COVID

Myriad ethical issues impacting persons at high risk for poor health outcomes have seriously impact older adults and those living with chronic and life-limiting conditions in recent months, especially those receiving care in acute and congregate living settings. Tools and resources to assist with accelerated advance care planning can be used to elicit treatment preferences, manage stressful family communication, and clarify goals of care that can be implemented even in times of crisis.

Objectives:

Identify and access turnkey tools for assisting with accelerated advance care planning tools for seriously ill older adults and disabled persons at high risk of poor outcomes.

Differentiate between medical orders and types of common advance care planning resources that facilitate shared medical decision making, their legal and social dimensions.

Adopt specific resources to assist in developing skillsets for converting values into treatment preferences and assisting clinicians in developing goals of care and care plans.