Improving Advance Directives with Video
In the opening scene of Annie Hall, the film’s main character tells a joke about two elderly women who are lamenting the decline of a restaurant. The first woman says “‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’ The other one says, ‘Yeah, I know. And such small portions.’” If you’ll permit a health ethics joke, a similar lament applies to advance directives: They’re unhelpful and too few people have them.
This insight article describes some of the shortcomings of written advance directives and explains how making videos to accompany the legal document can help ensure patients receive the care they want.
How Technology Causes Physician Burnout
The promise of clinical information systems (CIS), including electronic health records (EHRs) and other digital solutions, included fewer mistakes than hand-written notes, better continuity of care from access to patient records in different settings, and more efficient record keeping so that providers would have more time with patients. It hasn’t worked out this way.