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ForwardDiscussing Prognosis with Patients and Caregivers
Course Description
Builds skills for talking about uncertainty and disease trajectory with patients and families.
Learn how to effectively discuss prognosis with patients and their caregivers in order to ensure understanding and set the context for decision-making.
*This course is free to ATS members.
Target Audience
All critical care, sleep and pulmonary medicine professionals and physicians.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the learners should be able to:
- List three important actions to take before giving prognostic information.
- Describe an effective framework for communicating a prognosis.
- Explain an approach for helping patients with limited prognosis and their caregivers.
Supplemental Material
- PDF 1-Pager link
- ATS Patient Education Documents link(s)
- ATS Journals
Acknowledgment
This course module was produced in collaboration with the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Activity of this course module is eligible for CME. Click on the accreditation tab to see accreditation and registration information.
Copyright Information
Copyright © 2025 American Thoracic Society. Any unauthorized use of any materials on the site may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws. You may view, copy, and download information or software ("Materials") found on the Site subject to the following terms, conditions, and exceptions:
- The materials are to be used solely for personal, noncommercial, informational and educational purposes. The materials are not to be modified. They are to be distributed in the format provided with the source clearly identified. Copyright information or other proprietary notices may not be removed, changed, or altered.
- Materials may not be published, uploaded, posted, transmitted (other than as set forth herein), without written permission from American Thoracic Society.
Faculty
Kacey Boyle, RN, MSPC, CHPN
Associate Director, Educational Programs
University of Vermont, Health Network
Burlington, VA
Disclosures
Consultant| VitalTalk
Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN
Co-Director, Palliative APRN Externship; Adjunct Associate Professor for the University of Maryland,
Baltimore School of Pharmacy, PhD in Palliative
Baltimore, MD
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Jonathan Fischer, MD
Medical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Duke University School of Medicine
Durham, NC
Disclosures
Consultant | Center to Advance Palliative Care
Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, FAAHPM
Founder, Director Emerita and Strategic Medical Advisor, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Co-director, Patty and Jay Baker National Palliative Care Center
Professor, Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Catherine Gaisman Professor of Medical Ethics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Employment | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Drew A. Rosielle, MD, FAAHPM
Associate Professor, Departments of Family Medicine & Community Health and Internal Medicine
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Michelle Turner, M.Ed., BBA
Continuing Education Program Manager
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Planning Committee
Kathleen Waybill, MD
Health Provider, Hospice and Palliative Care
UVA Health, Pulmonary Clinic
Charlottesville, VA
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Luyi “Louise” Xu, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
NYU Grossman School of Medicine
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Doranne M. Donesky, PhD, ANP-BC, ATSF
Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Lekshmi Santosh, MD, MEd
Associate Professor in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine and Hospital Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Disclosures
Consultant | American College of Physicians
Employment | University of California, San Francisco
Brynn Bowman, MPA
Chief Executive Officer, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Assistant Professor, Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Andrew E. Esch, MD, MBA
Director, Palliative Care Program Development, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Anand S. Iyer MD, MSPH
Associate Professor, Medicine - Pulmonary, Allergy, & Critical Care Medicine
UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine and School of Nursing
Birmingham, AL
Disclosures
Medscape, Verona Pharma | Speaking fee
National Institute of Aging, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs | Grant/Contract
Lynn F. Reinke, PhD, APRN, BC, ATSF
Clinical Professor, College of Nursing
The University of Utah
201 Presidents Circle
Salt Lake City, UT
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Donald R. Sullivan, MD, MA, MRes
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine
Co-leader, Cancer Prevention and Control Program, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Associate Director, KL2 Program, Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute
Portland, OR
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Amy Skiba
Executive Director, Lung Transplant Foundation
Cary, NC
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Carrie Smith, MS, CAE
Chief Education Officer, Learning Education Programs
American Thoracic Society
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Jennifer Siegel-Gasiewski, MPA
Director of Lifelong Learning
American Thoracic Society
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
Suzette Machado, MPA, CHCP
Associate Director, Accreditation of ATS Learning Programs
American Thoracic Society
New York, NY
Disclosures
Nothing to disclose
It is the policy of the ATS to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. As an accredited CME provider, the ATS requires that its planners, reviewers and presenters comply with the ACCME Standards Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. The ATS also requires specific disclosure of relationships with companies and organizations associated with tobacco or cannabis and prohibits or limits participation of faculty in official ATS activities, including CME, if any tobacco industry relationship or some types of cannabis industry relationships is present. The most recent policies regarding potential conflicts of interest as well as the mechanisms to mitigate or resolve such conflicts can be found here: COI Policy for Official ATS Activities (thoracic.org)
All relevant financial relationships have been reviewed and mitigated.
Accredited Provider
Provided by the American Thoracic Society (ATS)
Accreditation Statement – American Thoracic Society
The American Thoracic Society is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Physician Credit Designation (American Thoracic Society)
The American Thoracic Society designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Disclosure Policy
It is the policy of the ATS to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. As an accredited CME provider, the ATS requires that its planners, reviewers and presenters comply with the ACCME Standards Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. The ATS also requires specific disclosure of relationships with companies and organizations associated with tobacco or cannabis and prohibits or limits participation of faculty in official ATS activities, including CME, if any tobacco industry relationship or some types of cannabis industry relationships is present. The most recent policies regarding potential conflicts of interest as well as the mechanisms to mitigate or resolve such conflicts can be found here: COI Policy for Official ATS Activities (thoracic.org)
Planning committee members, faculty, reviewers, and activity staff have disclosed the following relevant financial relationships. All relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.
Disclosure of Unlabeled Use:
ATS and CAPC require CME faculty (speakers) to disclose when products or procedures being discussed are off label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational, and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary, or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Faculty in this activity may discuss information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of US Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. ATS and CAPC do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. If you have questions, contact the Medical Affairs Department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information.
Available Credit
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™The American Thoracic Society designates this for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 1.00 Participation
Price
If you are requesting AMA credits or a certificate of participation, your certificate will be available for download.
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All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a certificate of participation.
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