 |
|
|
|
|
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
|
 |
||
Purchase a DVD |
Purchase a DVD |
|||
|
Practitioners witness end-of-life on a regular basis in the intensive care unit. For that reason, one might think that they would be comfortable talking with patients and families about end-of-life issues. Ironically, this is not the case.
Studies show that ICU clinicians, while truly caring about their patients, are often uneasy talking about this subject. Studies have also found that families are increasingly unhappy with the care their loved ones receive while facing end-of-life in the ICU. Inadequate clinician communication skills, lack of formal training about end-of-life issues, heightened emotions on the part of patients, families and caregivers, and vague understanding of medicolegal issues all serve to complicate this already charged and most challenging process. This video is hosted by Mitchell Levy, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI, and Chair, Robert Wood Johnson Critical Care End of Life Work Group. The program features interviews with six thought leaders in compassionate care. Click here to watch this video online now. Running time 20:00 J.Randall Curtis, MD, MPH Deborah J Cook, MD, MSc, FRCP(C) Kathleen A Puntillo, RN< DNSc, FAAN John Luce, MD Judith Nelson, MD, JD Cynda Rushton, DNSc, RN, FAAN |
|
End-of-life care is not a pleasant topic, and many of us choose to avoid discussing issues surrounding our own mortality. But there are certain realities of life. Aging, eventual illness and death are inevitable processes that cannot be separated from life. Yet we work very hard to avoid confronting this reality. Even when faced with an illness which will certainly limit the time we have left with our families and loved ones, most of us would choose to avoid the difficult conversations surrounding this topic. Unfortunately, this leaves us unprepared for the decision making that is necessary during critical illness.
This video, hosted by Mitchell Levy, MD, features many insights from prominent experts on end-of-life-care. These individuals discuss the many complex decisions faced in the ICU and talk frankly about how we can better cope with end-of-life issues. They’ll talk about the importance of advance planning, communication with physicians, answer questions surrounding the withdrawal of life support, discuss the issues of pain and symptom management and outline the goals of compassionate end-of-life care. It’s our hope that we, as medical practitioners, can offer you some of the tools needed for dealing with life’s most difficult transition. Click here to watch this video online now. Running time 30:00 |
||