List date(s) this work was published or aired.
24-Jun-12
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The Care Quandary story was published with a sidebar titled, “Conflicting goals complicate decisions.” As three siblings disagreed over how much hospital care to give their 89-year-old mother, her medical costs skyrocketed — and all the care she received did little to prolong her suffering. Althlee Williams’ health care tab of $1.2 million for her last six months of life was hardly unique in an era of rapidly advancing medical technology. Few politicians, bureaucrats, insurers or physicians discuss the ethical and financial aspects of dying, or how to tackle soaring health costs. Physicians, trained to diagnose and treat diseases, often do not fully consider quality-of-life issues.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Hospital billing records, patient medical records, hospital Form 990 tax filings, and studies by Dartmouth Atlas project, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Explain types of human sources used.
Interviews with Althlee Williams’ three children; her physicians; hospital administrators; insurance executives; medical ethics experts; legal experts; and authorities on palliative care.
Results:
The article and sidebar prompted a public discussion about end-of-life care and a strong response among the Post-Dispatch’s print edition and internet readers, many of whom posted online comments and submitted letters to the editor.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections or clarifications were issued. On Aug. 19, the Post-Dispatch published my page 1 follow-up story on hospice care, titled “People’s Near Life’s End Choose Comfort, Control.”
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
This story explored the personal and emotional details of health care, while putting Althlee Williams’ case and its relevant issues in the context of national health policy. In pursuing this kind of project, I suggest that you approach family members gingerly, but also be sure to retain perspective so that you’re not too easily swayed by their point of view. Don’t settle for what you learn in a single interview with family members, physicians and other medical experts; go back repeatedly to learn more. Weed through your assumptions, bias, and suspicions to find the truth. In writing, look for ways to meld evocative details and policy perspectives.