Rant: “Hospice and Palliative Medicine” Not Listed

Quick one here (a little too long for a tweet).  I’ve been filling out re-credentialing at the hospital, and was asked to list my primary specialty (internal medicine) and subspecialty.  Hospice and Palliative Medicine was not listed as a subspecialty option.  I selected “other” and then typed it in.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hospice and Palliative Medicine listed in any of the many credentialing processes I’ve been through.  For that matter, when signing up to review for a journal, or for a medical conference, they often ask for subspecialty.  I can’t recall (other than AAHPM) that Hospice and Palliative Medicine has ever been listed.

It’s been 4 years now since the American Board of Medical Specialties recognized Hospice and Palliative Medicine as a subspecialty, isn’t it about time we were added to these lists?  I think we’ve outgrown “other”.

by: Alex Smith