Discussing Prognosis
What You’ll Learn
- Assess the information your patient wants regarding prognosis
- Elicit permission from patients to discuss prognosis
- Deliver a clear assessment of prognosis to your patient, and acknowledge emotional impact
- Reinforce patient and family coping mechanisms
What You’ll Earn
Only CAPC members who are logged in can earn the following free Continuing Education Credits:
- Case Management: 1.00 CE
- Nursing: 1.00 CNE
- Social Work: 1.00 CE (NYSED)
- Social Work: 1.00 CE (NASW)
To take this course, log in. Or, check here to see if your organization is a member.
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Tools & Resources
In this video, Kacey Boyle, RN, MSPC, leads us through an example of a goals of care conversation between a clinician and a patient.
This conversation script provides skills and techniques for conducting goals of care conversations with patients, regardless of the existing clinician-patient relationship.
In this video, Jonathan Fisher, MD, leads us through a mock conversation between a patient whose illness has progressed, and a clinician who explains the benefits of hospice care.
This communication script provides techniques for clinicians to foster meaningful conversations about hospice.
This resource provides practical samples of empathic responses to use in conversations with patients and families, as well as template responses to challenging questions. Developed by VitalTalk.
Stepwise approach for discussing prognosis with patients and families. Center to Advance Palliative Care and VitalTalk.
One-page guides with actionable tips for conversations with patients with serious illness. Free to download, print and share with others.
Phrases to use when talking to members/patients and their families about prognosis, advance care planning, and quality of life.
Course Directors
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Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, FAAHPM
Founder, Director Emerita and Strategic Medical Advisor, Center to Advance Palliative Care
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Robert Arnold, MD
Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine
Chief, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics
Dir… -
Anthony Back, MD
Co-founder, VitalTalk
Co-director, University of Washington Center for Excellence in Palliative Care
Course Faculty
Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN. Consultant, Center to Advance Palliative Care.
Andrew E. Esch, MD, MBA. Consultant, Center to Advance Palliative Care.
Lynn Hallarman, MD. Associate Professor of Medicine, Director of Palliative Medicine, Stony Brook University Hospital.
Jaime Goldberg, MSW, LCSW, ACHP-SW. PhD student, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work.
Philip Higgins, PhD, LICSW. President, Lighthouse Counseling of Salem, Inc.
Lynn Hill Spragens, MBA. President and CEO Spragens & Associates, LLC.
Jay R. Horton, PhD, ACHPN, FNP-BC, MPH, CENP. Director of Nursing Safety, Quality, and Performance Improvement Mount Sinai Hospital. Assistant Professor Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Khadidjatou Kane, MD. Oncology Hospitalist, Assistant Professor of Hospital Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Lolita Melhado, MSN, ARNP, FNP-BC. Family Nurse Practitioner/Palliative Care, Gulf Coast Medical Center - Lee Memorial Health System.
Bridget Montana, MSN, APRN, FPCN, MBA. Hope HealthCare Services, Chief Operating Officer.
Colleen Mulkerin, MSW, LCSW. Director Palliative Care Consult Service, Hartford Hospital.
Drew Rosielle, MD, FAAHPM. Palliative Care, Fairview Health Services, University of Minnesota Medical School.
David Weissman, MD. President, Palliative Care Education, LLC.
Peer Reviewers
Amy Case, MD, FAAHPM. Associate Professor of Oncology, Chair, Department of Supportive Care.*
Melissa Bakar, MD. Assistant Professor, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.*
Sivan Ben-Moshe, MD. Fellow, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Sachin Kale, MD. Fellow, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Katie Wang, MD. Fellow, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
*indicates ABIM Peer Reviewer
Contact information: For answers to frequently asked questions about CAPC courses, read the Online Course FAQ. For technical questions about course activity, email membership@capc.org. For questions about continuing education credits, contact 201-957-0077.

Provided by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.