Special Topics in Family and Community Medicine Hospice / Palliative Care Elective

Course Number: FCMD 995 Course Director: Tessa Rohrberg, M.D. Faculty: Dan Morgan, M.D. Length: 2 or 4 weeks Academic Credit: 2 or 4 Credits Location: Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice (outpatient and inpatient location), Wichita, KS Course Availability: All months with department approval Eligibility: Fourth year students in good standing

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The hospice and palliative care elective is designed for fourth year students who desire to explore end of life care and issues. The student will divide time between the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice inpatient and outpatient units. During the experience, the student is expected to treat patients under the supervision of the attending faculty, explore how common medications are utilized during end-of-life care, attend interdisciplinary meetings and patient visits, and practice typical procedures and documentation associated with death. A course evaluation will be submitted for academic credit at the end of the rotation.

Objectives:

Upon completion of this elective, a student will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast three differences between traditional and palliative care pain regimes including dosing regimens, alternative routes of administration and adverse effects. 2. Demonstrate ability to communicate with interdisciplinary team members and patients’ family members. 3. Properly pronounce and document a patient’s death. 4. Adequately complete a Kansas death certificate.

Teaching Methods/Resources:

1. Clinical care with community volunteer faculty in a hospice or palliative care setting, both inpatient and outpatient. 2. Self-directed readings from: a. Old J, Swagerty, DL; A practical guide to palliative care. Philadelphia, 2007, Lippincott Willams & Wilkins. b. Atul Gwande: http://atulgawande.com/articles/ c. Lawson, P. (2009). Pharmacologic Pearls for End-of-Life Care. Am Fam Physician. 2009 Jun 15;79(12):1059-1065. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0615/p1059.html d. Quyen, N., August, K., Liao, S., & Meyskens, F. (2008). End-of-Life Care: Guidelines for Patient- Centered Communication. Am Fam Physician. Jan 15;77(2):167-174. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2008/0115/p167.html

Evaluation:

Student performance will be evaluated using the standard elective evaluation form.