Resource Center

The Stanford Letter Project tools to helps people write letters about their wishes for care in the future. These letter templates are specifically designed to help people voice the key information needed to help them prepare for the future. 

Trainees could be asked to complete templates provided as a reflection process.  In clinical practice, it can be used by patients with completed forms shared and discussed with clinicians.  Trainees could be assigned to assist patients or volunteers in completion of such templates.  Pictures could be emphasized for those patients who are more comfortable with visual communications versus written and those with lower levels of literacy. 

About The Organization: The Stanford Letter Project, associated with the Stanford School of Medicine, helps empower and support all adults to prepare for their future and take the initiative to talk to their doctors and their friends and family about what matters most to them at life's end.  The Stanford Letter Project was created after extensive research and discussions with multi-ethnic patients and families as well as health personnel from various domains and sub-specialties.

Keywords: What Matters Most, Letter tool, End-of-life care, Healthcare choices, Bucket list, Life goals, Values, Advance directives, Patient care, Life review, Health communication, Palliative care, Doctor-patient communication, Veterans, Personal reflection, Healthcare wishes, Stanford Medicine