Training primary care teams to identify patients needing end-of-life care early

This trial is testing whether training primary care teams — doctors, nurses, and other staff working together — can help identify patients who are approaching the end of life earlier, so they can receive comfort-focused care when they need it. Right now, many patients who would benefit from this kind of care are identified too late. The study will compare three approaches: usual care, special training in identifying patients' needs, and training plus structured conversations about future care plans.

Over 300,000 people die each year in France from serious illnesses that could benefit from end-of-life care, but most never receive it because doctors don't recognize they're nearing the end of life in time. Early identification of these patients and honest conversations about their wishes can improve quality of life, avoid unnecessary hospital visits and aggressive treatments, and actually reduce costs — but primary care teams need better training and coordination to make this happen.