Introduction

Chapter 1 serves as an introduction to the book. The author shares her experiences and challenges as a new member of the Palliative and Hospice Care team. She discusses the difficulties she faced in having conversations with patients and their families about their goals of care and the lack of resources available to guide her. Through her struggles, the author gradually realizes that her previous experience as a wedding photographer had unknowingly prepared her to navigate the emotionally charged conversations she would encounter in this new role. The author introduces the conversational technique presented in the book, which is based on the guiding principle that patient choice best arises from an accurate understanding of their health status. The chapter concludes with an overview of the content of the book, which is organized into five parts: (I) Acknowledging the Patient’s Journey, (II) Ground Rules for Compassionate Conversations, (III) The Arc of Conversation, (IV) Aligning Patient Wishes with Care, and (V) Supplemental Materials.