Clinical Challenges in Surgical Palliative Care: Goals-of-Care Conversations

The podcast episode centers on using the REMAP framework to improve goals-of-care conversations in surgical settings. The discussion highlights the importance of reframing the situation with a headline statement, expecting and empathizing with patient emotions, and mapping patient values to align with a proposed treatment plan. The panel emphasizes avoiding the "a la carte menu" approach, where individual treatments are offered without considering the patient's overall goals. The speakers further explore aligning with families by acknowledging their hopes and beliefs, even when those hopes seem unrealistic. The hosts also stress the significance of recognizing potential mistrust within the medical community and normalizing both life-sustaining and comfort-focused treatment options.