The Surprise Question Can Be Used to Identify Heart Failure Patients in the Emergency Department Who Would Benefit from Palliative Care

Heart Failure (HF) is associated with symptom exacerbations and risk of mortality after an emergency department (ED) visit. While emergency physicians (EPs) treat symptoms of HF, often the opportunity to connect with palliative care is missed. The 'Surprise Question' (SQ), "would you be surprised if this patient died in the next 12 months?" is a simple tool to identify patients at risk for 12-month mortality.

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