Rapidly Growing Academy of Hospice and Palliative
Medicine Issues Education Courses
Hospice and palliative medicine specialty strives to
prepare physicians for growing population of senior citizens
Aug.
25, 2008 - The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,
which has seen its membership almost double in the last five years, has
announced two new medical education courses in hospice and palliative
medicine and a significantly revised book series. The new projects are
in keeping with the Academy’s “ongoing commitment to prevent and relieve
pain and suffering during serious illness.”
In the announcement news release, the Academy says,
“Hospice and palliative medicine physicians have demonstrated a unique
skill set that is highly appealing to patients and those who care for
them. Working together with a team of experienced healthcare
professionals, these specialized physicians provide symptom management,
pain relief, coordination of care and support to patients and their
families during difficult times.”
AAHPM says it is dedicated to meeting the
increasing medical needs of the aging population by preparing more
physicians to enter the specialty and educating doctors with an interest
in hospice and palliative medicine to help improve patient care.
"Hospice and palliative medicine is a newly
recognized medical subspecialty," says Porter Storey, MD, Executive Vice
President of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
"This unique specialty reflects the need for
specialized medical care for the growing number of older adults and
persons with serious, complex, and chronic illnesses, which currently
pose an enormous challenge to the healthcare industry."
Hospice and palliative medicine has been shown to
provide excellent care at the end of life. Hospitals have determined
that this type of care not only improves outcomes but also dramatically
reduces costs. These services are becoming more widely available.
Definition of Hospice and Palliative
Care
Both hospice and palliative care focus on
helping a person be comfortable by addressing issues causing
physical or emotional pain or suffering.
Palliative medicine relieves the pain and
other symptoms patients suffer due to serious illness, including
cancer, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, kidney failure,
Alzheimer’s, AIDS, ALS, and MS. The goals of palliative care are
to:
● reduce suffering,
● improve the quality of a seriously
ill person’s life, and
● support that person and their family
during and after treatment.
Hospice care is for patients with a
terminal diagnosis who are no longer seeking curative treatment.
The focus of their care is on relieving symptoms and supporting
them as they approach the last stages of life.
There currently are more than 3,500
hospices in the United States, and more are being built every
year. Approximately 500 new hospice licenses were issued in the
last two years.
Who provides hospice and palliative
care and where can patients get it?
Care is usually provided by an
interdisciplinary team of experts, including palliative care
doctors, nurses and social workers. Chaplains, counselors,
massage therapists, pharmacists, nutritionists, and others might
also be part of the team. The team addresses the physical,
psychological, spiritual and practical burdens of illness and
provides support to and works in partnership with the doctor.
Care is offered in hospitals, long-term care facilities,
hospices or at home.
"There is a much greater demand than supply of
physicians skilled in hospice and palliative medicine," explains Dr.
Storey, who is a consultant in palliative care at Kaiser Permanente.
"Well trained physicians in this field have unlimited opportunities.
AAHPM is steadily expanding educational opportunities so that physicians
who want to move into hospice and palliative medicine have more learning
opportunities."
AAHPM is offering two medical education courses
entitled "Current Concepts in Palliative Care: Update and Review Course"
and "Hospice Medical Director Course," which will be held August 28-30,
2008, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Media representatives who would like
to learn more about the specialty are welcome to attend.
Course Addresses Hot Issues in Field of
Palliative Medicine
The "Current Concepts in Palliative Care: Update
and Review Course" offers a thorough update on current practice,
clinical advancements, and research updates in palliative care from
experts in the field while providing a comprehensive foundation for the
board certification exam.
The following hot topics will be addressed during
the course: care of whole person and family, specialized care at the end
of life, pain management and new hospice regulations, children and
bereavement, and communication skills.
Course Prepares Physicians for Medical Director
Role
The "Hospice Medical Director Course" is intended
for hospice medical directors and for those interested in becoming
medical directors.
The course covers what a good hospice medical
director does and needs to know. Physicians learn strategies to overcome
the administrative, regulatory, and clinical challenges that medical
directors face on a daily basis.
UNIPAC Book Series Tackles Challenges Faced by
Hospice and Palliative Care Physicians
The 3rd edition of the Hospice/Palliative Care
Training for Physicians: UNIPAC book series has been extensively updated
and provides readers with a solid foundation in the field. Update topics
include the hospice/palliative medicine approach to care; psychological
and spiritual pain in the seriously ill; assessment and treatment of
pain; management of selected nonpain symptoms; communication and the
interdisciplinary team; ethical and legal decision making; care of
patients with HIV/AIDS; and pediatric palliative care.
"The UNIPAC book series helps to form a strong
foundation for developing these skills," says Dr. Storey, who is
co-author and editor of UNIPAC book series. "Like good textbooks, the
UNIPAC booklets have multiple contributors and have been peer reviewed
by the leaders in the field."
Editor’s Notes:
The Academy is the professional organization for
physicians specializing in hospice and palliative medicine. Membership
is also open to nurses and other healthcare providers who are committed
to improving the quality of life of patients and families facing
life-threatening or serious conditions.
For 20 years, the Academy has dedicated itself to
advancing hospice and palliative medicine and improving the care of
patients with life- threatening or serious conditions. Originally
organized as the Academy of Hospice Physicians in 1988, the Academy
began with 250 charter.
Membership in the Academy continues to grow,
reaching record numbers by mid 2008 - more than 3,500 physicians and
healthcare professionals are now AAHPM members. During the last 5 years
membership has nearly doubled. This achievement is due to a number of
factors, including growth within the field, high levels of satisfaction
among current AAHPM members, and ongoing recruitment and retention
initiatives.
For more information contact AAHPM at 847/375-4712
or visit the Web site at
www.aahpm.org.
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boomers
Aug.
25, 2008 - The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine,
which has seen its membership almost double in the last five years, has
announced two new medical education courses in hospice and palliative
medicine and a significantly revised book series. The new projects are
in keeping with the Academy’s “ongoing commitment to prevent and relieve
pain and suffering during serious illness.”