Plan Well Guide was created by critical care physician and researcher Dr. Daren Heyland, who has been studying communication and decision-making for seriously ill patients for more than 20 years.
He and his colleagues have conducted many research projects through the Canadian Researchers at the End of Life Network (CARENET), the results of which have been used to inform the development of this planning tool.
Dr. Daren Heyland MD, MSC, FRCPC is a critical care doctor at Kingston General Hospital and a Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario Canada. He is trained in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Clinical Epidemiology.
Dr. Heyland currently serves as the Director of the Clinical Evaluation Research Unit (CERU) at Queen’s University which functions as a methods center for multi center clinical research. For over a decade he chaired the Canadian Researchers at the End of Life Network (CARENET, www.thecarenet.ca), which has a focus on developing and evaluating strategies to improve communication and decision-making at the end of life.
For more on Dr. Heyland’s academic career, see his Queen’s University webpage.
If you have questions about the different types of medical treatments, or if you want to double check your values statements, or if you just want to talk over your plan with someone, Dr. Daren Heyland is available for consultation.
30 Minutes: $130
15 Minutes: $60
“Thank you for your consultation. It has definitely helped set my mind at ease. I think that, for now, everything is in place. If circumstances change, I now have a tool to make any necessary changes. I have become more comfortable that I ‘can use technology’ for the short term and ‘still be heard’ and have the quality of life that I wish. As a consequence of your program, I now have an excellent team of Executors whom I love deeply and I KNOW that they care for me. A win-win.!! “
~ A.P. Toronto, Canada
“Thank you for your consultation Dr. Heyland. When I had my pacemaker surgery, the doctors spent a lot of time explaining to me the different devices and surgical options. I was well informed. However, just before I went for surgery, another doctor asked me if I wanted CPR. I didn’t know anything about CPR so I just said ‘yes’. Now that I have gone through Plan Well Guide and watched the CPR video, I am much more informed and I realize there are potential bad outcomes associated with CPR and low likelihood of success. Why would a health care provider just ask me “Do I want CPR?” without explaining it to me? I am grateful for the education and assistance in decision-making I received from Dr. Heyland and his Plan Well Guide materials.”
~ T.H.
