In The News: Patients know better

Two boston unit patients were asked about their perceptions on their prognosis and their likelihood of transplantation. With a chart review and a survey of both patients and their nephrologists, the authors compared the physicians expectations of 1 and 5 year survival and transplant candidacy to the patient's expectation. 
What did they find?
"In this single center study, patients were more optimistic then their nephrologists regarding survival at 1 and 5 years and transplant candidacy. In their sample, patients' expectations about 1-year survival were more accurate than those of their nephrologists, but their longer-term survival expectations dramatically overestimated even their 2-year survival rates."
Implications:
There has to be better communication of nephrologists and their patients on dialysis re this perception. As our ability to accurately prognosticate for seriously ill patients continues to advance, we need to learn to be better communicators to our patients. 

Check out the full study at JAMA