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Advance Care Planning Training for Renal Social Workers
Joan Berzoff1, Jenny Kitsen2, Jamie Klingensmith3
1End of Life Certificate Program, School for Social Work, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, USA.
Journal of Social Work in End-Of-Life & Palliative Care
|February 7, 2020
Summary
Patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) often miss hospice care due to insufficient training for healthcare professionals. A new training program aims to improve advance care planning and hospice referrals for ESRD patients and their families.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Palliative Care
- Social Work
Background:
- End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a life-limiting illness with a high mortality rate.
- Hospice and palliative care are underutilized in the ESRD population, with patients on dialysis being half as likely to receive hospice services compared to other life-limiting conditions.
- Healthcare professionals, including nephrologists and dialysis social workers, lack adequate training in end-of-life care and advance care planning for ESRD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe an advance care training program developed for social workers in ESRD care.
- To increase advance care planning and hospice referrals for patients with ESRD.
- To equip social workers to better advocate for patients and families, considering cultural, spiritual, racial, and ethnic differences, and navigating ethical/legal issues in advance care planning.
Main Methods:
- Development of a specialized advance care training program for social workers in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) settings.
- Integration of the training program within a larger research project focused on enhancing advance care planning and hospice referrals.
- Curriculum designed to address patient advocacy, cultural competency, and ethical/legal aspects of end-of-life care.
Main Results:
- The training program aimed to improve social workers' ability to guide ESRD patients and families through end-of-life care and advance care planning.
- Identified challenges included high staff turnover and a lack of commitment to training from dialysis corporations.
- The program sought to foster better advocacy and understanding of diverse patient needs.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced training for social workers is crucial for improving end-of-life care and advance care planning in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
- Addressing systemic barriers, such as corporate commitment and staff retention, is necessary to increase hospice utilization among ESRD patients.
- Social workers can become more effective advocates, ensuring comprehensive care that respects patient diversity and legal/ethical considerations.
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