[Journal article] Communicating to the Intellect, Heart, and Person: A Model Describing Participants’ Experience of Goals of Care Discussions Conducted During Acute Inpatient Care
19 Jun 2025
Authors: Joshua S. Lee, Katrielle Joy X.Y. Fu, Lynn Wiryasaputra, Celestine Z.Q. Lim, Paul Victor Patinadan, Joseph Y.J. Ong, Andy H.Y. Ho, and Tricia S.H. Yung
Published in: Palliative Medicine Reports. Published online: 16 June 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/pmr.2025.0020.
Summary points:
- Participants express a desire for knowledge, experience emotions like anxiety and negativity and experience existential struggles when they have goals of care discussion with the medical team during acute hospitalization
- Participants also desire for communication styles that express clarity, empathy and enhance autonomy
- Well conducted goals of care discussions occur when there is a match between the participant’s preconceived health perceptions and the desired communications skills expected from their physicians – surmised in in the model of communicating to the “intellect, heart and person”
