Medical Goals of Care Plan

The Medical Goals of Care Plan ensures that patients unlikely to benefit from medical treatment aimed at cure:

• receive care appropriate to their condition
• are not subjected to futile treatments including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Medical Emergency Team (MET) calls.

How the plan works

The Medical Goals of Care Plan is an assessment tool completed for all patients being admitted to the hospital.

• Day admissions for low-risk procedures may be exempt at the discretion of the admitting Consultant.
• It should be discussed with the patient, their ‘person responsible’ or by advance care directive.
• The final care decision is always a clinical one.

The Consultant or Specialist responsible for the patient's care, or their designated delegate, (Registrar or RMO) is responsible for:

• completing and signing the Medical Goals of Care Plan form
• authorising any changes
• contacting the patient's GP
• endorsing the form for out-of-hospital use.

Decision-making process

Decision-making is based on a realistic assessment of medical outcomes at this stage of their illness.

• The phases are curative, palliative and terminal.
• Patients may move from one phase to another.
• Some patients cure is never an option even at presentation.
• Some patients only present in the terminal phase.

Download decision-making flowchart for Medical Goals of Care Plan

Where to get more information

Visit Primary Health Tasmania’s website for Medical Goals of Care Plan for GPs.