Questions for Family Members

• What is your understanding of what is going on?
• Why have you decided to _______________?
• What are you hoping we can accomplish/achieve?
• What do you think __________ would want us to accomplish for him/her?
• What else would he/she want us to accomplish?
• Which of these goals are the most important?
• In what situations, if any, could imagine ______ not wanting to continue to live?
• Are you questions getting answered?
• Do you have concerns about the care your loved one is getting?
• Do family members disagree on certain issues?

• What do I think are this patient’s chances of surviving to discharge/recovering function?
• What have I told the patient/family regarding his/her chances of surviving to discharge/recovering function?
• How sure am I about his/her prognosis? On what is the prognosis based?
• What do I know about what this patient wants (or would have wanted)? How do I know? How sure am I?
• Is this patient competent to make his/her own decisions? How do I know? How sure am I? Could it be fluctuating or reversible incompetence?  
• Did I/we contribute to a bad outcome in any way (missed diagnosis, delayed tx.)?
• How do I feel about discussing this patient’s death with him/her (his/her family)?
• Who are this patient’s physicians? Clergy of choice? Nurse? Social Worker?
• Do I feel I have enough time to talk to the patient/family about prognosis, options and goals?
• What words or phrase have others or I used that might be contributing to conflict between family members? Could I use "change to pallative care" and "change what we are hoping for" instead of "stopping treatment" and "comfort measures only"?
• What aspects of this patients life do I feel justified withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment?
• Does the family trust us? If not, why?