To integrate palliative care, education and training must change

This is the call from two palliative care experts writing for the Health Affairs Blog this week.

The authors highlight how the fundamental approach to decision-making for the older adult with serious illness needs to change, and why this can only happen if there are big changes to how nurses and doctors are trained.

The authors write: “Palliative medicine and nursing needs to be integrated throughout the care system. To achieve the necessary policy and behaviour changes to reach this goal, concerted efforts must be made at all levels in medical schools and nursing schools, with extensive continuing education in palliative care required for physician and nurses already in practice. To achieve the necessary policy and behaviour change, concerted efforts must be made at various levels.”

Read the full article by Charles von Gunten and Betty Ferrell on the Health Affairs Blog.