DOCSLIB.ORG

Palliative Care and End of Life Issues

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Palliative Care and End of Life Issues University of Louisiana at Lafayette AGENDA FACULTY College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions October 24, 2014 Susan Nelson, MD, FACP, FAAHPM Continuing Nursing Education Program Dr. Nelson is a Board Certified physician in Internal Medicine, Presents 7:30-8:00 Registration and Continental Geriatrics and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She is the Breakfast chair of the LaPOST Coalition, an initiative of the Louisiana Palliative Care and Health Care Quality Forum to improve care for those with life 8:00-8:05 Welcome and Announcements End of Life Issues limiting illnesses. Dr. Nelson speaks locally and nationally on Robbie Stefanski the subject of palliative and hospice care and has written TARGET AUDIENCE 8:05-9:15 Advance Care Planning and LaPOST- Part I legislation to improve care for those unable to speak for This program is designed for registered nurses working in Susan Nelson themselves. She currently serves as a physician and Medical various practice settings. The content would be of value to Director of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health any healthcare professional including social workers, 9:15-9:30 Break System in Baton Rouge. therapists, and pharmacists. 9:30-10:20 Advance Care Planning and LaPOST- Part II GOAL OF THE PROGRAM Maria L. Olivier, RN CHPN, CPh.T To enable the learner to identify evidence-based practices 10:20-11:00 Effective Management of Pain and End of Life Ms. Olivier began her career in hospice and palliative care in that improve the quality of care of individuals and their Symptoms - Part I 2000 and has been certified in this field for twelve years. She families experiencing terminal illnesses and of those Maria Olivier has served as a nurse liaison for a hospice-only pharmacy and is Vice President and Approved Educator for the local requiring comfort care for debilitating diseases. 11:00-12:00 Lunch Break (Available on site Hospice Palliative Nurses Association, Esprit du Coeur. Ms. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES through the Petroleum Club, Olivier provides education, support, and resources to nurses At the conclusion of this program the participant will be $18.00 cash or check payable to and physicians in the hospice field, as well as provides in- able to: Petroleum Club or participant services, information and research related to hospice care, 1. Discuss how to develop an effective advance care may leave and return at 12:00 PM) symptom control, and crisis management. planning document for an individual patient. 12:00-12:50 Effective Management of Pain and End of Life 2. Review the content of the LaPOST document, the Karen Baumgartner, RN, MSN, ANP-BC model of care it represents, and resources for Symptoms - Part II For the past seven years, Ms. Baumgartner has served as an implementation. Maria Olivier Advanced Practice Nurse for Palliative and Supportive Care 3. Define the types of pain experienced by the at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas under the hospice and palliative patient and the components 12:50-1:30 Dying in America: Improving Quality of Care direction of renowned palliative care physician, Dr. Eduardo of a thorough pain assessment. at the End of Life - Part I Bruera. Her current position consists of evaluating and 4. Explain the principles of effective pain management Karen Baumgartner treating oncology patients with intractable symptoms and utilizing pain medications. 1:30-1:45 Break assisting with the transition of care for individuals at end of 5. Identify pharmacological interventions for common life. Ms. Baumgartner has presented at national, state, and end of life symptoms. 1:45-2:35 Dying in America: Improving Quality of Care local levels on various oncology topics and has published 6. Differentiate between hospice and palliative care. at the End of Life - Part II articles in prestigious nursing journals. 7. Define hypodermoclysis and explain its benefits to Karen Baumgartner symptom control. 8. Identify integrative therapies which provide a 2:35-2:45 Evaluations SPECIAL NEEDS University of Louisiana at Lafayette will seek to accommodate holistic treatment approach. CONTINUING EDUCATION 9. Explain how spiritual and religious beliefs impact persons with special needs. If you have a special need which University of Louisiana at Lafayette College of Nursing and Allied an individual’s well-being. may require accommodations, please notify Continuing Health Professions is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing Nursing Education, (337) 482-6682 or email COURSE DESCRIPTION education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s [email protected] five (5) days in advance to make If giving the most effective, compassionate care to your Commission on Accreditation. arrangements. patients is important to you then this program is a must- Louisiana State Board of Nursing – Provider # 9. attend. We will explore important topics such as advanced REFUND POLICY directives, pain management techniques, end of life To receive 5.0 contact hours, the participant must attend the entire symptom control, and holistic, integrative therapies. Our program, and complete and submit the Contact Hour and Evaluation REFUNDS WILL BE PROVIDED UNTIL OCTOBER 20, 2014. local expert, Maria Olivier, will join us as well as state and forms. NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE FOR CANCELLATIONS AFTER OCTOBER 20, 2014. FEE MAY BE APPLIED TO ANOTHER national speaker, Dr. Susan Nelson. Karen Baumgartner PROGRAM IF YOU CANCEL AT LEAST ONE DAY PRIOR TO will also join us from MD Anderson’s prestigious palliative DISCLAIMER THE PROGRAM. care program where she practices alongside renowned American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) accreditation applies For your convenience, the College of Nursing accepts palliative care physician, Dr. Eduardo Bruera. Each only to the educational content of the program. University of Louisiana at Lafayette College of Nursing and Allied Health telephone registrations with payment at the door. speaker will bring years of experience to the podium and Professions Continuing Nursing Education Program and ANCC However, if the registrant fails to attend and does not pay will provide us with the knowledge we need to guide our Commission on Accreditation does not approve or endorse any registration, a bill will be mailed to the registrant. patients and their families through difficult times. product. Palliative Care and University of Louisiana at Lafayette College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions End of Life Issues Continuing Nursing Education Program October 24, 2014 LA , E PAID REGISTRATION FORM 70504 ~Presents~ U.S. POSTAGE U.S. PERMIT NO. 218 NO. PERMIT LAFAYETT ORG PROFIT NON Name: _________________________________________ (Last) (First) (Middle) Address: _______________________________________ City: ___________________ State: _____ Zip: _________ Phone (H): ________________ (W): _________________ E-mail: _________________________________________ Employer: ______________________________________ (CHECK ONE) Palliative Care and REGISTRATION End of Life Issues _______Individual $80.00 _______Subscriber Participant $15.00 _______Retired RN $30.00 Friday, October 24, 2014 _______Undergraduate Students $10.00 and Dietetic Interns 8:00 AM – 2:45 PM _______Graduate Students $40.00 Contact Hours: 5.0 Please add $10.00 for registrations received after Monday, October 20, 2014. 2014-2015 Subscribers Abbeville General Hospital For your convenience the College of Nursing accepts telephone Acadiana Brain Injury Center registrations with payment at the door. However, if the registrant Complete Home Health fails to attend and does not pay registration, a bill will be mailed Cornerstone Village South to the registrant. FOR MORE INFORMATION , CALL 3 37-482-6682 First Option Home Health Heart Hospital of Lafayette Iberia Medical Center PLEASE MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: Lafayette General Health UL Lafayette Lafayette Juvenile Detention Home College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions Lafayette Parish School System – Nursing Health Services Louisiana Nursing Home Association – Region III MAIL WITH REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO: Oncologics, Inc. Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center UL Lafayette Post Acute Medical Specialty Hospital of Lafayette College of Nursing & Allied Health Professions Region IV Nurses CONTINUING NURSING EDUCATION The Regional Medical Center of Acadiana P.O. Box 43810 Women’s & Children’s Hospital Lafayette, LA 70504-3810 Phone: 337-482-6682 Presented at Fax: 337-482-5053 Petroleum Club of Lafayette 111 Heymann Blvd University Louisiana ofat Lafayette Professions CollegeHealth Nursing Allied of and Program Continuing Nursing Education 40400 P.O. Box Lafayette, LA 70504 Email: [email protected] Requested Service Return Lafayette, LA Web: www.nursing.louisiana.edu .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Changing Nature of Palliative Care: Implications for Allied Health Professionals’ Educational and Training Needs
    healthcare Article The Changing Nature of Palliative Care: Implications for Allied Health Professionals’ Educational and Training Needs Deidre D. Morgan 1,* , Deb Rawlings 1,2 , Carly J. Moores 3, Lizzie Button 2 and Jennifer J. Tieman 1,2 1 Palliative and Supportive Services, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia; deborah.rawlings@flinders.edu.au (D.R.); jennifer.tieman@flinders.edu.au (J.J.T.) 2 CareSearch, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia; elizabeth.button@flinders.edu.au 3 Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia; carly.moores@flinders.edu.au * Correspondence: deidre.morgan@flinders.edu.au; Tel: +61-8-7221-8220 Received: 11 August 2019; Accepted: 26 September 2019; Published: 28 September 2019 Abstract: CareSearch is an Australian Government Department of Health funded repository of evidence-based palliative care information and resources. The CareSearch Allied Health Hub was developed in 2013 to support all allied health professionals working with palliative care clients in all clinical settings. This cross-sectional online survey sought to elicit allied health professionals palliative care experiences and subsequent considerations for educational and clinical practice needs. The survey was disseminated nationally via a range of organisations. Data was collected about palliative care knowledge, experience working with palliative care clients and professional development needs. Data were evaluated by profession, experience and practice setting. In total, 217 respondents answered one or more survey questions (94%). Respondents (65%) reported seeing >15 palliative care clients per month with 84% seen in hospital and community settings. Undergraduate education underprepared or partially prepared allied health professionals to work with these clients (96%) and 67% identified the need for further education.
    [Show full text]
  • New Zealand Palliative Care Glossary
    New Zealand Palliative Care Glossary Released 2015 health.govt.nz Citation: Ministry of Health. 2015. New Zealand Palliative Care Glossary. Wellington: Ministry of Health. Published in December 2015 by the Ministry of Health PO Box 5013, Wellington 6145, New Zealand ISBN 978-0-947491-36-9 (online) HP 6308 This document is available at health.govt.nz This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. In essence, you are free to: share ie, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format; adapt ie, remix, transform and build upon the material. You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the licence and indicate if changes were made. Palliative Care Council of New Zealand The Palliative Care Council was established in 2008 by Cancer Control New Zealand to provide independent and expert advice to the Minister of Health and to report on New Zealand’s performance in providing palliative and end of life care. Cancer Control New Zealand and the Palliative Care Council was disestablished on 8 August 2015 by the Minister of Health. The Palliative Care Council included representatives from the New Zealand Branch of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine, Hospice New Zealand, Hospital Palliative Care New Zealand and Palliative Care Nurses New Zealand, and members nominated by the Royal NZ College of GPs/NZ Rural GP network, Nursing Council of NZ, Māori and consumers. The New Zealand Palliative Care Glossary is now the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. PO Box 5013
    [Show full text]
  • Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy Published to Promote Compliance of Pharmacy and Drug Law
    August 2020 News Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy Published to promote compliance of pharmacy and drug law 239 Causeway Street, 5th Floor • Boston, MA 02114 • www.mass.gov/dph/boards/pharmacy Acute Use Medications for Inpatient also known as automated dispensing machines and automated Hospice Facilities dispensing cabinets. In March 2020, a circular letter was jointly issued from the The use of an ADD in a Massachusetts-licensed health care Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy and the facility is permitted only if the facility’s licensure allows it to Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality outlining a process store and dispense medications. For instance, if there is not through which an inpatient hospice facility’s pharmacy pro- an on-site pharmacy, prior approval for use and placement vider may store certain non-patient-specific medications at of the ADD must be obtained from the agency that licenses the facility. With this change, hospice inpatient facilities (as that facility. defined in105 Code of Massachusetts Regulations 141.000) Medications must be provided in unit-of-use packaging for will now have the ability to treat patient symptoms that are a single dose or a specific person and remain the property of not life-threatening, but require medication management the pharmacy until dispensed pursuant to a patient-specific in a timely manner to provide prompt palliative care. A list prescription or order. Any losses must be reported to the of medications that may be stored, as well as details on the pharmacy’s licensing body (ie, Board of Pharmacy or Drug requirement to store them in an automated dispensing device Control Program).
    [Show full text]
  • Palliative Care Glossary
    (http://getpalliativecare.org) Glossary A adjuvant therapy A treatment used with a medication to aid its effect. advance directive Written or verbal instructions for your care if you are unable to make decisions. C cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) A procedure used when a patient′s heart stops beating; it can involve compressions of the chest or electrical stimulation. consulting physician A doctor with special training or experience who is called in to assist the primary attending physician in matters that need more specialized care. coordination of care An approach in which all members of the medical team work together to plan for a patient′s care in the hospital and for discharge. D do not resuscitate (DNR) order A physician's order not to attempt CPR if a patient′s heart or breathing stops. The order is written at the request of the patient or family, but it must be signed by a physician to be valid. There are separate versions for home and hospital. durable power of attorney for healthcare A document that designates the person you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable. H healthcare proxy Similar to a durable power of attorney for healthcare: a document that designates the person you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable. home care Services provided in the home, such as nursing and physical therapy. hospice Considered a model of quality care, hospice focuses on relieving symptoms and supporting patients with a life expectancy of months, not years. Hospice involves a team-oriented approach to expert medical care, pain management and emotional and spiritual support.
    [Show full text]
  • Pharmacist's Role in Palliative and Hospice Care
    456 Medication Therapy and Patient Care: Specific Practice Areas–Guidelines ASHP Guidelines on the Pharmacist’s Role in Palliative and Hospice Care Palliative care arose from the modern hospice movement and and in advanced clinical practice (medication therapy man- has evolved significantly over the past 50 years.1 Numerous agement services, pain and symptom management consulta- definitions exist to describe palliative care, all of which fo- tions, and interdisciplinary team participation). cus on aggressively addressing suffering. The World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Purpose Services both stipulate the tenets of palliative care to include a patient-centered and family-centered approach to care, In 2002, ASHP published the ASHP Statement on the with the goal of maximizing quality of life while minimiz- Pharmacist’s Role in Hospice and Palliative Care.28 These 2 ing suffering. In its clinical practice guidelines, the National guidelines extend beyond the scope of that statement and Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care of the National are intended to define the role of the pharmacist engaged in Quality Forum (NQF) describes palliative care as “patient the practice of PHC. Role definition will include goals for and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by an- providing services that establish general principles and best ticipating, preventing, and treating suffering . throughout practices in the care of this patient population. This docu- the continuum of illness . addressing the
    [Show full text]
  • The TLC Model of Palliative Care in the Elderly: Preliminary Application in the Assisted Living Setting
    The TLC Model of Palliative Care in the Elderly: Preliminary Application in the Assisted Living Setting 1 Anthony F. Jerant, MD ABSTRACT 2 Rahman S. Azari, PhD Substantial shortfalls in the quality of palliative care of the elderly can be attrib- Thomas S. Nesbitt, MD, MPH1 uted to 5 fundamental fl aws in the way end-of-life care is currently delivered. First, palliative care is viewed as a terminal event rather than a longitudinal 3 Frederick J. Meyers, MD process, resulting in a reactive approach and unnecessary preterminal distress in 1Department of Family and Community elderly patients suffering from chronic, slowly progressive illnesses. Second, pal- Medicine, University of California Davis liative care is defi ned in terms of a false dichotomy between symptomatic and dis- School of Medicine, Sacramento, Calif ease-focused treatment, which distracts attention from the proper focus of healing 2Department of Statistics, University of illness. Third, the decision about whether the focus of care should be palliative is California Davis School of Medicine, not negotiated among patients, family members, and providers. Fourth, patient Sacramento, Calif autonomy in making treatment choices is accorded undue prominence relative to more salient patient choices, such as coming to terms with their place in the 3Department of Internal Medicine, Univer- trajectory of chronic illness. Fifth, palliative care is a parallel system rather than an sity of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, Calif integrated primary care process. A new theoretical framework—the TLC model— addresses these fl aws in the provision of palliative care for elderly persons. In this model, optimal palliative care is envisioned as timely and team oriented, longi- tudinal, collaborative and comprehensive.
    [Show full text]
  • Palliative Care Clerkship Pilot Laura Shoemaker DO MS, Kathleen Neuendorf MD, Laura Hoeksema MD, Mellar Davis MD FAAHPM Cleveland Clinic
    Palliative Care Clerkship Pilot Laura Shoemaker DO MS, Kathleen Neuendorf MD, Laura Hoeksema MD, Mellar Davis MD FAAHPM Cleveland Clinic Background Methods Results The presence of formal, clinical Palliative Care (PC) Medical Students Participate in a 1. Nine students completed the pilot during the 2015-2016 training is US medical schools is variable, ranging Palliative Care Experience academic year. from non-existent to weeks-long clerkships. Current Consisting of: 2. Students completed a post clerkship assessment approaches to PC teaching are inadequate, primarily consisting of: preclinical, poorly integrated, focused on knowledge 1. Direct patient care in four PC settings • PC Competency (Self-Assessment) rather than skills and attitudes, and lack opportunity • Acute PC Unit • PC Knowledge for reflection.1 A survey of Clerkship Directors found • Inpatient Consultation • The Jefferson Scale of Empathy 75.8% of respondents felt that PC curricula should • Outpatient Clinic • A Reflective Writing assignment in response to the occur in clerkships, but only 43.6% had formal • Hospice prompt: “Please write about an experience you had curricula.2 Early clinical experiences with critical with a terminally ill patient during this Palliative illness, death, and dying have implications on 2. Six Didactic Seminars Care Clerkship. You may also consider the impact development of students' professional identity, of caring for seriously ill and dying patients on your attitudes, and behaviors.3 Prior to this Pilot, 3. Reflective Writing professional development as a physician.” Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner College of Medicine *Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of these assessments (CCLCM) did not have formal, clinical PC is underway. curriculum. 3. Informal feedback from students and medical school administration has been overwhelmingly positive.
    [Show full text]
  • Pharmacists’ Palliative Care Competency Framework Version 1.0 (September 2020)
    Alberta Pharmacists’ Palliative Care Competency Framework Version 1.0 (September 2020) A Resource Manual for Health Care Professionals Alberta Pharmacists’ Palliative Care Competency Framework (September 2020) 1 Covenant Health is proud to continue our mission to seek out and respond to the needs in the vulnerable population of palliative care. Following two decades of establishing an international reputation, Covenant Health launched the Palliative Institute in October 2012 with a strategic plan to “be leaders in robust palliative and end-of-life care and advocate for it to be an essential part of the health system.” © Covenant Health Palliative Institute (2020) Publication date: September 2020 This publication may be reproduced without permission for personal or internal use only, provided the source is fully acknowledged. How to cite this document: Covenant Health Palliative Institute Alberta Pharmacists’ Palliative Care Competency Framework: A Resource Manual for Health Care Professionals. Edmonton, AB: September 2020. Authors: Lisa Vaughn, MN, RN; Lorelei Sawchuk, MN, NP, CHPCN(C); Carleen Brenneis, RN, MHSA; and Konrad Fassbender, PhD on behalf of the Covenant Health Palliative Institute. To obtain additional information, please contact the Covenant Health Palliative Institute. Address: Covenant Health Palliative Institute, c/o Grey Nuns Community Hospital, Rm 416, St. Marguerite Health Services Centre, 1090 Youville Drive West, Edmonton, AB T6L 0A3 Fax: 780-735-7302 E-mail: [email protected] Alberta Pharmacists’
    [Show full text]
  • Glossary of Medical Ethics and Hospice Care
    Center for Bioethics and Health Policy Glossary of Medical Ethics and Hospice Care Before defining the terms commonly used in medical ethics and hospice care, it might be reasonable to ask: What is medical ethics and how does ethics differ from morals? Morals relates to the principles of right and wrong behavior, i.e., a specific act is right or it is wrong, end of question: to murder is wrong. Ethics, on the other hand, is a system of moral principles that apply values and judgments to accepted professional standards of conduct. Medical ethics evolve/devolve, i.e., what may have been considered ethical behavior in the 19th century may not be considered ethical in the 21st century and vice versa, e.g., eugenics was accepted as ethical behavior in the early 20th century. The Tuskegee study was accepted from its inception in the mid 1930s until it was abruptly discontinued in 1972. Advanced Health Care Directive (Living Will) - a document in which a person gives advanced directions about medical care, or designates who should make medical decisions for the person if they should lose their decision making capacity, or both. There are two types: treatment directive (Living Will), and proxy/surrogate directives (Healthcare Power of Attorney). Allow Natural Death (Allow to Die) – involves the withholding or withdrawing of life- sustaining treatment that is judged by the patient or proxy to be excessively burdensome and/or of little or no benefit. It involves a decision to no longer prevent the underlying disease process or pathology to run its course. Assent – a concept that applies to minors and refers to their right to have their own perspective represented in all decision making about their health care.
    [Show full text]
  • Recommendations for End-Of-Life Care in the Intensive Care Unit: a Consensus Statement by the American College of Critical Care Medicine
    Special Articles Recommendations for end-of-life care in the intensive care unit: A consensus statement by the American College of Critical Care Medicine Robert D. Truog, MD, MA; Margaret L. Campbell, PhD, RN, FAAN; J. Randall Curtis, MD, MPH; Curtis E. Haas, PharmD, FCCP; John M. Luce, MD; Gordon D. Rubenfeld, MD, MSc; Cynda Hylton Rushton, PhD, RN, FAAN; David C. Kaufman, MD Background: These recommendations have been developed to to die, and between consequences that are intended vs. those that improve the care of intensive care unit (ICU) patients during the are merely foreseen (the doctrine of double effect). Improved dying process. The recommendations build on those published in communication with the family has been shown to improve pa- 2003 and highlight recent developments in the field from a U.S. tient care and family outcomes. Other knowledge unique to end- perspective. They do not use an evidence grading system because of-life care includes principles for notifying families of a patient’s most of the recommendations are based on ethical and legal death and compassionate approaches to discussing options for principles that are not derived from empirically based evidence. organ donation. End-of-life care continues even after the death of Principal Findings: Family-centered care, which emphasizes the patient, and ICUs should consider developing comprehensive the importance of the social structure within which patients are bereavement programs to support both families and the needs of embedded, has emerged as a comprehensive ideal for managing the clinical staff. Finally, a comprehensive agenda for improving end-of-life care in the ICU.
    [Show full text]
  • View the Winning Essay
    Winning Undergraduate Essay Prize Entry 2018 Alicia Griffin Should palliative medicine be a compulsory part of undergraduate medical training? Introduction The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines palliative care (PC) as giving patients the best quality of life under the circumstances of life-threatening disease. WHO describes involving patients and families, to relieve symptoms and pain, fulfil emotional and spiritual needs, and detect problems early to prevent distress(1). Healthcare professionals must learn to deal with patients’ pain, help individuals cope and come to terms with prognoses, and include patients and families in decision-making(2). Over the coming years, the population is set to grow, and along-side this, incidence of chronic disease will increase. Within this lies increased rates of incurable diseases, such as some cancers and other chronic conditions, increasing the demand for PC(2). With rising numbers of patients living longer with diseases, and 46.9% of people dying in hospital, PC is an important area of medical training(3). The Department of Health reports that many individuals suffer greatly at the end of life, in distress, lacking in dignity, fearing that their death will not be a ‘good death’(4). As the requirement for PC increases, it will become uncommon to work in a speciality where understanding of PC is not required. The average GP experiences the loss of life of around twenty patients per year: eight from ‘old-age’ deaths, five from cancer, five from organ failure and two from acute unexpected causes(5). This reaffirms the wide range of conditions and settings where PC knowledge is needed.
    [Show full text]
  • A CAREER in HOSPICE and PALLIATIVE MEDICINE Is It for You? “People with Serious Illness Have Priorities Besides Simply Prolonging Their Lives,” Writes Dr
    A CAREER IN HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE Is it for you? “People with serious illness have priorities besides simply prolonging their lives,” writes Dr. Atul Gawande in Being Mortal. “If your problem is fixable, we know just what to do. But if it’s not? The fact that we have had no adequate answers to this question is troubling and has caused callousness, inhumanity, and extraordinary suffering.” WHO PRACTICES HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE AND WHAT DO THEY DO? A physician specializing in hospice and palliative medicine provides care and support as patients and their families face the many challenges of living with a serious illness. While other physicians focus on patients’ general health or treating their disease or condition, palliative medicine physicians concentrate on preventing and alleviating suffering and improving quality of life. Research shows that people often live longer when they receive palliative care along with other treatments that are targeted at their illness. Palliative medicine physicians work in hospitals, hospices, outpatient palliative care clinics, nursing facilities, and assisted living facilities seeing adult and/or pediatric patients. While many work in academic settings, others spend their time in the community seeing patients at home. Compassionate palliative care succeeds when there is a team approach, usually including physicians, nurses, social workers, and other professionals. AAHPM’s delegation to the AMA House of Delegates on why they chose hospice and palliative medicine “I was practicing the full gamut of family medicine in a rural community and discovered I was doing hospice and palliative medicine without knowing it. When I looked further, I realized there were things I needed to know and learned more.
    [Show full text]