Communication training: is simulation enough?
December 5, 2013
A video example of palliative care communication techniques in the wrong hands by: Alex Smith, @AlexSmithMD Major paper in JAMA…
The Quality of Palliative Care: It Can and Must Be Measured
November 11, 2013
Is it important to provide high quality palliative and supportive care in patients with serious illness? Does it matter if…
On Cooks and Cookbooks: Failure of a Palliative Care Pathway
October 30, 2013
by: Alex Smith @AlexSmithMD Wouldn’t it be great if we came up with a standardized approach to caring for hospitalized…
Do Not Hospitalize orders for nursing home residents with advanced dementia
October 8, 2013
by: Alex Smith @alexsmithMD Advanced dementia is a terminal illness needing palliative care. Unfortunately, there is a great divide between this…
Community Health Workers: Key to Reducing Disparities in End-of-Life Care
September 9, 2013
Despite recent attention, dying in the United States is a complex and often suboptimal experience for patients and providers alike…
A Hospice Nurse’s Experience of Assisted Suicide
August 28, 2013
by: Amy Getter, RN, MS. is a Hospice nurse who delivers care to the dying. Stories about hospice care at…
2 MUST Views: Portraits of the Elderly as They Once Were and Jane Lotter Obituary
August 2, 2013
I wanted to draw GeriPal readers attention to two websites that you must view. Really, right now. If you have 5…
July Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Teaching Imminent Death
July 20, 2013
Shunryu Suzuki by Robert Boni “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” is a collection of talks by the late Zen MasterShunryu Suzuki. The…
Empathy Video
June 25, 2013
by: Alex Smith I’m interested in people’s reactions to the video called “Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care” produced…
When Staying Silent is No Longer Acceptable
May 9, 2013
A Guantanamo detainee’s feet are shackled to the floor, April 27, 2010. (AP Photo/Michelle Shephard, Pool) (Credit: Associated Press) Recent…