Facilitating Communication Study

Inclusion Criteria: * PATIENTS. Eligible patients 18 years of age or older, English-speaking, with a chronic life-limiting illness suggesting a median survival of approximately 2 years or a severe acute illness with a risk of hospital mortality of at least 15%. Chronic life-limiting illnesses include: cancer with a poor prognosis (e.g. metastatic cancer); chronic pulmonary disease (e.g. COPD, restrictive lung disease); coronary artery disease (CAD); congestive heart failure (CHF); peripheral vascular disease (PVD); severe liver disease (e.g. cirrhosis); diabetes with end-organ damage; renal failure (e.g. ESRD); and dementia. Acute illness criteria include a SOFA, APACHE or trauma severity score predicting a 15% or greater risk of hospital mortality. Acute illnesses and conditions also include: age \>=80 years; acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with P/F ratio \<=300; subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) Fisher grade 3/4 with Glasgow coma score (GCS) \<=12; spontaneous hemorrhage (ICH, IPH, EDH, SDH) with GCS \<=12; stroke or cardiovascular accident (CVA) with GCS \<=12; decompressive/crash craniotomy (bone flap) with GCS \<=12; traumatic brain injury (TBI) or diffuse axonal injury (DAI) based on MRI \~day 10; or anoxic brain injury due to cardiac arrest \>48 hours. All potential participants screened for facility with English and absence of significant cognitive impairment (prior to their current hospitalization) that would limit their ability to complete survey instruments…