The downside of the growth of palliative care
December 6, 2009
As palliative care matures, I become increasingly concerned about the downside of our growth. Let me say more. A couple…
Overwhelming Relief
December 4, 2009
I’ve been thinking about this analogy for a while (I may be stealing this from someone, but I don’t recall,…
December’s Palliative Care Grand Rouds
December 4, 2009
Palliative Care Grand Rounds is a great series that puts a spotlight on outstanding blog posts focused on hospice, palliative…
Penalizing Hospitals for Readmissions: Unintended Consequences?
December 2, 2009
Medicare recently started publicly reporting hospital readmission rates as a measure of quality, and there are proposals to financially penalize…
Thoughts on Preventive Medicine
December 1, 2009
You can prevent Heart Attacks You can prevent Strokes You can prevent Colon Cancer You can prevent Cervical Cancer You…
The need for Geriatrics
November 29, 2009
There is an excellentop-edin the Boston Globe from Dr. Lewis Lipsitzthat in clear yet eloquent language makes the case for…
How should costs fit into the conversation about end-of-life care?
November 24, 2009
Diane Meier just tweeted: “60 minutes misses the point- palliative care is about matching treatment to patient goals, NOT stopping…
Does Morphine Stimulate Cancer Growth?
November 24, 2009
Over the last week Reuters, ABC news, MSNBC, BBC News, and more than 75 other outlets reported on how two…
Dying in 14 Minutes of 60 Minutes
November 23, 2009
CBS did a segment entitled “The Cost Of Dying” on tonight’s 60 Minutes. Considering the title of the segment and…
Hospice Upheaval
November 19, 2009
It never occurred to me until today that enrolling my patients in hospice could cause them harm and distress. What…