Study: New method successfully measures whether seriously ill patients receive care matching their wishes

Study: New method successfully measures whether seriously ill patients receive care matching their wishes
McKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 7/8/25
A study has developed a reliable way to measure whether seriously ill hospitalized patients receive medical care that aligns with their personal goals. The research, involving 109 seriously ill patients with a median age of 70, found that using electronic clinical notes to measure goal-concordant care is feasible. The study identified variation in whether treatment matched patients’ stated goals. Researchers found that only half of all treatment phases were goal-concordant — with medical treatment matching patients’ documented preferences. Nearly one in five phases was goal-discordant, where treatment contradicted stated wishes, while roughly one-third remained uncertain due to unclear or missing goal discussions.