Cost-Related Outcomes Associated with Documented Goals of Care Conversations
In an article published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, researchers examined how documented goals of care conversations (GOCC) affect hospital cost-related outcomes. The multihospital study found that when GOCC were conducted early with specialty palliative consults—especially early in a hospital stay—they were linked with lower hospital costs, shorter stays, and reduced readmissions, particularly for patients who survived hospitalization or were admitted to the ICU.