Fast Fact #360 has been released: The Surprise Questions as a Prognostic Tool
Thanks to the authors, Hillary Me Lum and Kate Jennings, for this new addition to the Fast Fact Library.
Many experts have advocated that hospital systems utilize system-based practices to encourage clinicians to utilize the surprise question, which is “would I be surprised if this patient died in 12 months based on their underlying condition?”, to identify inpatients at risk of having unmet palliative care needs. This Fast Fact reviews the evidence behind the Surprise Question as well as offering best practices for implementation. For further information on how to implement generalist and specialist level palliative care throughout a health system, members should log into the PCNOW webpage and go to the Resources link. There you will find much more information on how to systematically utilize the surprise question and other primary palliative care tools systematically throughout your health system.
