LAUSR

Key Points Question What is the association between patient risk of hospitalization or death, measured with a Care Assessment Need (CAN) score, and occurrence of goals-of-care conversations documented with a completed Life-Sustaining Treatment (LST) Decisions Initiative note among veterans who underwent surgery in the Veterans Health Administration? Findings In this cross-sectional study, covariate-adjusted estimates of LST note completion indicated that veterans at high risk of hospitalization or death (CAN score ≥80) had a significantly higher likelihood of LST note completion before surgery. Meaning This study suggests that a minority of veterans completed documentation of goals-of-care conversations preoperatively, despite a marginal increase in documentation of goals-of-care conversations associated with a higher risk of hospitalization or death among veterans who underwent operations.