Health Dialog Makes Decision Aid Available for National Hospice and Palliative Care Month

Public Service Offering Provides Seriously Ill Patients and Their Families the Necessary Resources to Make More Informed Decisions about Care Options

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Health Dialog today announced it is empowering those patients and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses to become more informed about their care options by making its patient decision aid, Choices for Medical Care when you are Seriously Ill, available to the general public in honor of National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. Health Dialog is proud to support the principles outlined in the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s proclamation for National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, particularly a commitment to offer the highest quality of care to patients and families and to bring comfort, love and respect to all those we serve. As a public service offering throughout November, offering the decision aid Choices for Medical Care when you are Seriously Ill expands access to Health Dialog’s award-winning and nationally recognized tools, information, and resources on decision making for those people who are seriously ill.

“Receiving a diagnosis and living with a life-limiting or life-threatening illness can affect many aspects of a patients’ life, both physically and mentally, as well as raise questions and concerns from both the patient and their network of family and friends”

Every year more than 1.58 million people living with a life-threatening illness receive care from hospice palliative care providers in the U.S., according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. These patients, as well as their families and loved ones, are often left searching for information to help them make life-altering medical decisions in the face of a complex health care environment.

“Receiving a diagnosis and living with a life-limiting or life-threatening illness can affect many aspects of a patients’ life, both physically and mentally, as well as raise questions and concerns from both the patient and their network of family and friends,” said Peter Goldbach, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Health Dialog. “We want to ensure that patients and their families feel informed and prepared to work closely with their doctors around difficult decisions concerning treatment options. Our decision aid for people with a serious illness is specifically designed to provide information and resources - in print, online or in video format - to help individuals and their families understand their options and make decisions based on what is in their best interest.”

Health Dialog’s Choices for Medical Care when you are Seriously Ill decision aid provides patient-friendly explanations of terminology, comparisons of care options, support for grief and depression, research and recommended web sites, videos, and a printable booklet to enable patients to become actively engaged and more informed as they make the medical decisions that are best for them. The aid helps guide patients and their families through all options associated with life-sustaining, palliative and hospice care, choosing and directing care, and advance directives.

To view the Health Dialog decision aid on ‘Choices for Medical Care when you are Seriously Ill,’ click here.

About Health Dialog:

Health Dialog Services Corporation is a leading provider of healthcare analytics and decision support. The firm is a private, wholly-owned subsidiary of Bupa, a global provider of healthcare services. Health Dialog helps healthcare payors improve healthcare quality while reducing overall costs. Company offerings include health coaching for medical decisions, chronic conditions, and wellness; population analytic solutions; and consulting services. Health Dialog helps individuals participate in their own healthcare decisions, develop more effective relationships with their physicians, and live healthier, happier lives. For more information, visit www.healthdialog.com.