Over the past several months, I’ve been championing a revolution in end-of-life care. The care models need to change. Reimbursement strategies need to change. The way we think and talk about end-of-life needs to change.
And physician education needs to change. We, as doctors, need a new perspective on our role as healers and what that means when our patients can no longer be healed.
In the March issue of Academic Medicine (preprint available now), I look at the history of end-of life care, and consider how we should incorporate palliative care into our evolving healthcare landscape. As a preview to the academic paper, I’ve written a column at Forbes on some of the challenges.
This is a topic that deserves much thoughtful attention. I’d love your input.
Recent thoughts on end-of-life and palliative care:
Palliative Care: More than just end-of-life planning, Morning Consult, September 2014
Palliative Care: We know we need it, but how will the system pay for it?, National Institute for Health Care Management, September 2014
The Landscape of Long-Term Care, Aspen Ideas Festival session, June 2014
Bipartisan Policy Center Long-Term Care Initiative Launch, April 2014
NIC for Seniors Housing & Care Executives keynote, event preview interview, February 2014
Digitize your own advanced-care plan, The Hill, December 2013
End of life stories give us impetus to learn, Tennessean, December 2013
End-of-life care plan can ensure wishes are respected, Tennessean, November 2013
2013 Health Care Investors Conference report, November 2013
Elderly need options for palliative care, Tennessean, October 2013
We often avoid important conversation, Tennessean, October 2013
It’s never too early to discuss your final wishes, Tennessean, September 2013