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Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know when Caring for Seriously Ill Patients with Stimulant Use
Rebekka DePew1, Nicole Dussault2, Kyle Quirk3,4
1Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Family and Preventative Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine and Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Journal of Palliative Medicine
|August 14, 2026
Summary
Palliative care clinicians can improve care for patients with stimulant use disorder (StUD) by addressing stigma, understanding management, and using trauma-informed approaches. This guidance offers practical tips for seriously ill patients with StUD.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care
- Addiction Medicine
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Stimulant use disorder (StUD) is prevalent in hospice and palliative care (PC), yet clinical guidance is scarce.
- Stigma associated with stimulant use negatively impacts patient-clinician communication, symptom management, and overall care quality.
- PC clinicians require specific knowledge to manage StUD effectively within end-of-life care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide practical guidance for PC clinicians caring for seriously ill patients with StUD.
- To address the challenges posed by stigma and limited resources in managing StUD in PC.
- To offer ten actionable tips for multidisciplinary teams.
Main Methods:
- A multidisciplinary group of experts (PC, hospice, addiction medicine, psychiatry, ethics, pharmacy) collaborated.
- Development of ten practical tips for managing StUD in seriously ill patients.
- Focus on diagnosis, pharmacologic/nonpharmacologic management, trauma-informed care, and referrals.
Main Results:
- Ten practical tips were formulated for clinicians.
- Emphasis on addressing stigma and improving communication.
- Consideration of stimulant use impact on opioid therapy and toxicity.
Conclusions:
- PC clinicians need enhanced skills to diagnose and manage StUD.
- Trauma-informed engagement and appropriate referrals are crucial.
- Addressing StUD improves symptom control and quality of care for seriously ill patients.
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