An excellent article in the Boston Globe cites a recent Harvard Medical School study which finds that many terminally ill patients and their doctors put off conversations about end-of-life choices. It’s the latest in a series by Globe reporter Kay Lazar, who has been a real champion for this topic. We should all keep an eye out for her continued coverage of end-of-life care.

The article quotes a Hospice director as saying “I don’t think anymore that death is a taboo conversation with these consumers. I think people are just struggling with how to start the conversation.”

Of course, broaching potentially uncomfortable topics is something that we at Eliza deal with every day – from describing what to expect from a colon cancer screening to exploring people’s barriers to antidepressant medication adherence.

That’s why we are proud supporters of Engage With Grace – an online, viral movement designed to help us all better understand and communicate our end-of-life wishes.

The topic may be heavy, but the concept is simple — just five questions covering end-of-life preferences and plans that you should be able to answer for yourself, and be able to answer for your loved ones. Then pass the five questions on to your family, to your book group, to your next corporate presentation.

Spread the word. Change the statistic.