Thanacare Enables Agency for Patients, Providers, and Family at End-of-Life

Guest post authored by Dr. Michael Madison, CEO & President of Thanacare

Thanacare is a comprehensive digital registry for all essential end-of-life care documents.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of advance care planning (ACP) in ensuring individuals receive care that aligns with their values, preferences, and goals, particularly toward the end of life. Despite widespread evidence and support, only 3% of patients nationwide have had high quality ACP conversations and only 17% say they have had such a discussion with their doctor or other health care provider.

I have seen this sentiment grow during my 25+ years of practice as an Interventional Neuroradiologist. I primarily treat stroke patients utilizing new technologies that often enables them to return to their lives and their families. Unfortunately, I have repeatedly observed many patients and their families who have not prepared for or planned for their end of life. From these experiences, I was inspired to help change the narrative at the end-of-life by creating Thanacare, a leading provider of end-of-life planning software solutions. Our interdisciplinary team has grown Thanacare into a valuable ally to facilitate ACP and improve the overall experience for patients, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers alike.

Recognizing that the responsibility of the end-of-life is a moving target, we offer an inclusive platform to cater to the needs of any patient and any provider. Thanacare serves as a comprehensive registry for all essential end-of-life care documents, including ACP, Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST), Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), Voluntarily Stop Eating and Drinking (VSED) and other pertinent documents. By centralizing these documents in a secure digital format, Thanacare builds accessibility and ease of retrieval, while allowing alignment of all involved among care settings, healthcare providers, and loved ones.

This centralized approach not only streamlines the documentation process but also enhances coordination and communication among healthcare teams, patients, and their families. We built Thanacare for anyone with a responsibility in end-of-life care and our established partnerships, big and small, throughout Minnesota and across the nation, help us fulfill our dedication to ensuring every person has a chance at a graceful death.

Beyond technology, we focus on the lack of training, workforce shortage, competing priorities, and individual resistance to speaking about death. Our Thanacare Advocates work with our partners on these issues and ensuring robust ACP. Our Advocates are trained in ACP dialogue, facilitation, and discussion about preferences and values. Our Advocates are driven to support informed decision-making and practicing a more personalized approach to end-of-life care.

In our essence, Thanacare serves as a trusted ally for patients, families, providers, and caregivers alike, offering an alignment on end-of-life care preferences and decisions. With a user-friendly interface and robust features, operated by knowledge, trusted Advocates, Thanacare stands as a beacon of support in navigating the complexities of end-of-life care, ensuring that individuals receive care they earned, honoring their wishes and values till the very end. 

We’re excited to introduce Thanacare as a SendOff Sidekick! The goal of this partnership is to provide people with better options as they navigate the pre-planning process at end-of-life. Both companies strive to create space for people to meaningfully own their end-of-life decisions and wishes.

Contact Thanacare or schedule time with a Thanacare Advocate to complete your ACP.