Patient-reported receipt of goal-concordant care among seriously ill outpatients – prevalence and associated factors

Goal-concordant care is an important indicator of high-quality care in serious illness. We sought to estimate the prevalence of patient-reported receipt of goal-concordant care among seriously ill outpatients and identify factors associated with absence of patient-reported goal-concordance. We analyzed enrollment surveys from a multi-center cluster-randomized trial of outpatients with serious illness. Patients reported their prioritized healthcare goal and the focus of their current medical care; these items were matched to define receipt of goal-concordant care. We found that of 405 patients with a prioritized healthcare goal, 58% reported receipt of goal-concordant care, 17% goal-discordant care, and 25% were uncertain of the focus of their care. Patient-reported receipt of goal-concordance differed by patient goal. For patients who prioritized extending life, 86% reported goal-concordant care, 2% goal-discordant care, and 12% were uncertain of the focus of their care. For patients who prioritized relief of pain and discomfort, 51% reported goal-concordant care, 21% goal-discordant care, and 28% were uncertain of the focus of their care. Patients who prioritized a goal of relief of pain and discomfort were more likely to report goal-discordant care than patients who prioritized a goal of extending life (RRR 22.20; 95%CI 4.59, 107.38). This study found seriously ill outpatients who prioritize a goal of relief of pain and discomfort are less likely to report receipt of goal-concordant care than patients who prioritize extending life. Future interventions designed to improve receipt of goal-concordant care should focus on identifying patients who prioritize relief of pain and discomfort and promoting care aligned with that goal.