FEATURED MEDICAL EDUCATION TOPIC: Practical Aspects of Palliative Care

What is the problem?

An increasing body of evidence demonstrates the benefits of Palliative Care in conjunction with usual care throughout the serious illness continuum.  When included in patients’ care, studies show increased well-being, decreased aggressiveness of care at the end of life, and increased length of life. Some physicians confuse palliative care services with hospice services when in actuality, palliative care is appropriate for any stage of serious illness, including cancer, heart failure, disease of major organs, or dementia.  Physicians may not clearly understand the broad applications of palliative care.  Beyond pain control, palliative care can relieve other symptoms, such as relief of nausea, fatigue, weight loss, breathlessness, depression, anxiety, etc.  Palliative care is often associated with end-of-life care; however, palliative care can be provided early in the treatment cycle, along with other curative therapies.  Physicians need to be able to differentiate between palliative care vs. hospice care to provide the appropriate care.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the learners will be able to:

• Define palliative care 
• Identify facilitators and barriers associated with palliative care delivery
• Discuss the practical aspects of palliative/supportive care within health care settings that impact patient experience

If your medical staff needs an update on palliative care, consider contacting our office to book a speaker at 877-505-4777 or info@speakersnetwork.com.

REFERENCES

https://scorecard.capc.org/

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2500043-overview

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hospice-and-palliative-care/what-are-palliative-care-and-hospice-care