Development of a medical subspecialty in palliative medicine: progress report

There is significant interest in seeking professional recognition of expertise in caring for people with serious life-threatening illness and their families through creation of a specialty in palliative medicine. Certification of physicians and accreditation of training programs are key elements for formal recognition. The American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine was established to achieve these goals. The next step in the maturation of the subspecialty of palliative medicine is to have both the certification and the accreditation recognized by the professional self-governing bodies in organized medicine. This paper answers common questions about obtaining recognition by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, the American Board of Medical Specialties and its member boards. Formal recognition of the subspecialty of palliative medicine is sought in order to extend the knowledge and skills inherent in the domains of palliative medicine. Such recognition will also encourage more physicians to enter the field and assure standards of care for those patients and their families who need it.