AAHPM Winter Quarterly 2011 : Page 15WINTER 2011 15 When asked what particular words help them convey the meaning of palliative care and hospice care, many doc-tors said it depends. “I always ask what the other person knows about hospice and palliative care and then go from there,” said AAHPM President Ronald J. Crossno, MD CMD FAAFP FAAHPM. “It is very often fruitless to try to start an explanation without this information.” “We pay close attention to what media and others we speak with seem to understand,” said National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) President and CEO J. Donald Schumacher, PsyD. The variety of services that are part of the care that meet the individual needs of the patients makes it difficult for many doctors to define palliative care in a succinct mes-sage. “I find that explaining to patients and families what we do has been much more helpful for me personally than coming up with a succinct definition,” said Daniel-Maison, MD FAAHPM. “When explaining to patients why we Continue the conversation at aahpmblog.org. VOL. 12 Publication List Using a screen reader? Click Here |
