Dr. Angelo Volandes of Mass. General Hospital visited Google's Cambridge, MA office to discuss his book and program, "The Conversation: A Revolutionary Plan for End-of-Life Care".
Two-thirds of Americans die in healthcare institutions tethered to machines and tubes, even though research shows that most prefer to die at home, surrounded by loved ones. Dr. Volandes believes that a life well lived deserves a good ending. Through the stories of seven patients with very different end-of-life experiences, he demonstrates that what seriously ill people who are approaching the end of their lives need most is not new technologies, but one simple thing: The Conversation. He argues for a radical re-envisioning of the patient-doctor relationship and offers ways for patients and their families to talk about this difficult issue to ensure that patients will be in charge of their medical care.
Dr. Angelo Volandes is a physician and researcher at Harvard Medical School and Mass. General Hospital. He is the co-founder of Advance Care Planning Decisions, a nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging The Conversation through the use of videos.
