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Recent research from the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care found that collaborative communication between clinicians and patients is key to improving health equity among seriously and terminally ill populations.

Of nearly 2,500 people surveyed nationwide during the course of last year, 87% indicated that it was important for their physicians to know their priorities. The research was part of a multi-phase project designed to drive improvements in communication and care for people and families facing serious illnesses.

On October 14, 2021, we virtually came together reflect on the findings from our latest nationwide research. We also heard updates from our Public Policy Working Group, Medical Schools' Collaborative, and Nursing Schools Taskforce. Through presentations, discussions and breakouts, we explored what it means to shift to an equity-first approach in all our work to improve communication and care for people and families facing serious illness.

Survey finds what patients want most is to be listened to and included in their health care. But barriers within the health care system often prevent this, especially for those with serious illnesses and from marginalized communities.

A summit on serious illness care this week will explore new data on racial inequities in health care experience and communication, bringing together more than 200 people from across the Commonwealth to explore ways to improve care.

“We know there are persistent, well-documented disparities in health outcomes, and that has only become clearer over the past year amid COVID-19 and the national reckoning with systemic racism,” said Anna Gosline, executive director of the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care.

The virtual red carpet's rolled out -- we can't wait for all of you to join Dr. Atul Gawande and the whole Coalition gang at our Summit! We're so glad Atul can join us before he takes up his post at USAID.

Together, we'll be reflecting on what it means to prioritize equity and inclusion in serious illness care. How do patients and families define quality care and what matters most? Tune in for a Fireside Chat with Andrew Dreyfus and Michael Curry, we'll share new research findings, and then spend time reflecting with each other in breakout groups. It's going to be great!

Don't miss a Fireside Chat with Andrew Dreyfus from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Michael Curry from the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers at our Summit.

Please join us for the 2021 Virtual Summit of the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care. We'll be sharing our newest research findings, reporting out from major initiatives, and exploring more deeply what it means to shift to an equity-first approach in all our work. Register Now!

https://mcsicsummit.eventbrite.com

How might a health care proxy volunteer program look in Massachusetts? How can we best recruit and train volunteer health care proxies to ensure health care decisions made for each patient align with what matters most to them? What role can the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care best play in developing such a program? These are the questions that Fiona Pat explored in 2020-2021 as part of her graduate Capstone Experience at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics.

The Coalition is delighted to have South Shore Health, Almgren Law Group, and CareNavigate join as a member organization because of the commitment is has shown to the present and future needs of the serious illness community.

C-TAC, the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, recently held their 2021 Policy Forum, and our executive director Anna Gosline served as a guest speaker in one of the sessions, “How Federal and State Policies and Innovations are Reshaping the Advance Care Planning Landscape.”