Despite growing recognition that more care isn't necessarily better care, particularly at the end of life, many Americans still receive an enormous dose of medicine in their final days. On average, patients make 29 visits to the doctor's office in their last six months.

In their last month alone, half of Medicare patients go to an emergency department, one-third are admitted to an ICU, and one-fifth will have surgery – even though 80 percent of patients say they hope to avoid hospitalization and intensive care at the end of life.

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