Can We Agree To Disagree
October 21, 2009
JAMA published an essaythis week about a conversation I had with my grandparents entitled “Can We Agree to Disagree”. This…
Looking for Posts We Love – Palliative Care Grand Rounds Coming Soon
September 25, 2009
Don’t forget that GeriPal is hosting Palliative Care Grand Rounds on Wednesday, October 7th! The goal of Palliative Care Grand…
Notes From the Field
September 18, 2009
I am in the emergency room with my 93 year old father-in-law. His colostomy bag has filled up with blood…
Newsweek article on rethinking end of life care
September 16, 2009
The current issue of Newsweek includes an article titled “The Case for Killing Granny: Rethinking End of Life Care.” It…
“Moribund Obesity”: Palliative care diagnosis or poorly chosen label?
September 16, 2009
I’ve always had a fascination with how certain phrases influence practice and how established terms frame and reinforce provider attitudes…
Overuse of Pain Medications in Hospice and Palliative Medicine
September 12, 2009
This week’s Lancet includes an article titled “The Death of Ivan Ilyich and pain relief at the end of life”…
A Rant on Terminology
August 27, 2009
News Headlines read: Sen. Edward Kennedy loses battle with cancer. Really, he lost? I thought he died from a malignant…
Trying to Integrate Advance Care Planning Into Clinic
August 27, 2009
As a geriatrician who primarily sees patients in clinic, I find myself often wondering how best to apply what I’ve…
A Health Care Glossary for Politically Charged Times
August 14, 2009
Now that we are in an Orwellian world in which words reflect corporate and politically motivated interests rather than reality,…
Colace
August 9, 2009
Colace is a problem at our hospital too. Both because there is not data that it works and because once…