The Role of Individual Advocacy in State Efforts to Promote Palliative Care

by Amjad Riar, MD Nearly a decade ago, during my training as a third-year medical resident, one of my rotations in oncology was at Johns Hopkins. One of the responsibilities was to admit patients with advanced cancers, and I saw oncological emergencies for seriously ill cancer patients. This ignited the thought in my mind that … Read moreThe Role of Individual Advocacy in State Efforts to Promote Palliative Care

Should Failure to Follow Preferences be a Medical Error?

This past Tuesday was the annual National Healthcare Decisions Day when patients are encouraged “to express their wishes regarding healthcare and for providers and facilities to respect those wishes, whatever they may be.” To be clear, this is not about getting people to agree to a Do Not Resuscitate order or agreeing to limit their … Read moreShould Failure to Follow Preferences be a Medical Error?

Hospice and Palliative Medicine Commit to ‘Choosing Wisely’

by Larry Beresford On February 21 AAHPM, on behalf of its members and the specialty of hospice and palliative medicine, joined with 15 other medical societies to introduce Round Two of Choosing Wisely, a major national health care quality initiative sponsored by the ABIM Foundation. In a health care system undergoing rapid reforms, serious turmoil … Read moreHospice and Palliative Medicine Commit to ‘Choosing Wisely’