Health Affairs has published a
moving essay and podcast on the power of effective communication in the
doctor-patient relationship. . .
'I Don't
Want Jenny To Think I'm Abandoning Her': Views On Overtreatment
Diane E.
Meier
The article, published in the
current issue of Health Affairs, the leading
journal of health policy thought and research,centers on an experience with a
cancer patient whose oncologist was struggling to give up on experimental
treatment. The problem, as Dr. Meier came to realize through palliative care
consultations with her patient, as well as discussions with the patient's
oncologist, was not that the oncologist lacked compassion but instead lacked
the proper training to discuss the realities of the illness with the patient.
"To change behavior, we
must change the education and training of young physicians and the
professional and clinical culture in which they practice." says Dr.
Meier in her essay.
Click here to read the full story.
Listen to the podcast by clicking here.
Health Affairs has been publishing an
exciting blog series bringing pressing palliative care issues to light. The
series features adapted essays from the forthcoming book, Meeting the Needs of Older Adults with Serious
Illness: Challenges and Opportunities in the Age of Health Care Reform,
edited by Dr. Meier and Dr. Amy Kelley.
Visit Palliative in Practice's Health Affairs Blog Series page to read more.
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This draft document has been prepared by George Hankins Hull Palliative Care The aim of palliative care is to ease the suffering that results from illness. Palliative care seeks to provide treatment for your symptoms, even when the underlying disease cannot be cured. The goals of palliative care are to relieve your pain and other discomfort and to help reduce your family’s stress. In addition, palliative care seeks to provide information to help you cope and live with a chronic illness. Palliative care encompasses emotional, social, and spiritual needs as well. During the course of your illness, a palliative approach to care can help you and your family to achieve a better quality of life. To request a palliative care consultation You or your family can make a request to consult a palliative care team representative by speaking with your nurse or doctor. Your health care team also may decide to request a palliative care consult. A palliative care representative will visit you within 24
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