The surprise question

“Would you be surprised if your patient died in the next 6 to 12 months?”

YES: Prognosis is greater than 6 to 12 months
Key Clinical Process: Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning ensures that the patient's wishes are known to the health professional, family and Substitute Decision Maker (SDM).

NO: Prognosis of less than 6 months
Key Clinical Process: Case Conference
The aim of palliative care case conferencing is to identify clear goals of management so that stakeholders are “all on the same page”.

NO: Prognosis very limited, usually less than a week
Key Clinical Process: Terminal Care Management Plan
Recognising dying is the first step in developing a terminal care management plan in a residential aged care facility or at home.

Change indicators

Helpful resources

Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT)^TM
External website - freely accessible, users need to register prior to accessing tool
SPICT provides needs assessment suport and guidance to recognise general or specific indicators of clinical decline.
Watch a brief video by Professor Liz Reymond presenting an introduction to 'The Framework of care' (3:28mins)

Page updated 22 May 2017

palliAGED is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.