Advocating for Training in End-Of-Life Conversations With Seriously Ill Patients During Residency

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Palliative Care
• End-of-Life Communication

Background:

• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires residents to discuss end-of-care (EOL) goals with patients.
• EOL conversations are crucial for patients with life-limiting illnesses, guiding palliative or hospice care.
• Effective EOL communication aims to relieve suffering and manage physical, psychosocial, and spiritual burdens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the definition and importance of end-of-care (EOL) conversations.
• To differentiate indications for palliative versus hospice care.
• To review current literature on EOL care training in medical residency programs.

Main Methods:

• Commentary based on existing literature and professional insights.
• Discussion of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements for EOL communication training.
• Analysis of the gap in effective educational strategies for end-of-care conversations.

Main Results:

• Palliative and hospice care are shown to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes.
• A significant gap exists in current residency training programs regarding effective EOL communication strategies.
• There is a need for improved educational approaches to ensure competent delivery of EOL conversations.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced training in end-of-care (EOL) conversations is essential for resident physicians.
• Competent EOL communication improves patient-centered care, goal setting, and suffering management.
• Advocacy for improved EOL training is necessary to meet accreditation standards and patient needs.