Care That Reflects What Matters Most
Supporting meaningful conversations for people living with serious illness.
SI conversations
Care aligned with patient values, greater clarity for families, and more confident clinicians.
For people living with serious illness, the quality of care is shaped not only by treatments but by whether patients feel heard and understood when decisions are made.
Conversations about values and priorities often occur late or not at all. Distinction: Serious illness conversations explore what matters most over time; forms simply document decisions.
Understanding Serious Illness
Serious illness refers to a health condition that carries a high risk of mortality and either negatively impacts a person’s daily functioning or quality of life, or places a significant burden on caregivers.
A serious illness conversation is an ongoing dialogue between patients, families, and clinicians that focuses on understanding a person’s values, goals, and preferences so medical care can align with what matters most to them.
What These Conversations Are Not
Serious illness conversations are often misunderstood.
They are not:
A signal that treatment is ending
Limited to the final stage of illness
Simply completing forms or documents
A conversation that happens only once
