Practical Aspects of Palliative Care (PAPC)
A foundational program in palliative care for new and experienced clinicians
HMS course (#732740-2401)
Practical Aspects of Palliative Care (PAPC) is a two-day course designed to offer physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, chaplains, and other healthcare professionals the information and skills needed to provide high quality palliative care to patients with serious illnesses in a variety of practice settings.
This hybrid course will welcome learners to join us in person in the Boston area or online for virtual livestreaming. In addition to intensive plenary sessions and interactive breakout sessions, learners can enjoy opportunities to engage informally with one another and with course faculty. We expect that the course will convene palliative care professionals from throughout the world, as has been the case in past runs.
PAPC addresses the assessment and management of current challenges in palliative care, including the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering experienced by patients and their families. This year’s course will present three new plenary sessions, including a focus on health equity. Breakout sessions will include pain and symptom management; serious illness communication skills; interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration across disciplines; leading a family meeting; caring for adolescent and young adult patients; home-based palliative care; and current practice, research, and trends in palliative care.
Through their participation in PAPC, clinicians will have advanced their skills to assess and manage physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering for patients and their families dealing with serious illnesses or towards the end of life; develop practical strategies for discussing patient fears, hopes, goals, and wishes for care in the face of serious illness and at the end of life, including balancing hope and honesty in discussing treatment options and dealing with the ethical, psychosocial and spiritual issues that arise; and describe key issues and principles of pain management.
Course Dates
January 27 and 28, 2025
Course Location
This hybrid course will welcome learners to join us in person in the Boston area or online for virtual livestreaming. The in-person experience will take place at Peter K. Markell Center at Assembly Row (399 Revolution Drive, Somerville, MA 02145).
Course Directors
Course Planners
Tuition
| Physicians | Nurses/Psychologists/ Allied Health Professionals |
Social Workers, Chaplains | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition Rate |
Course description
This two-day in-person course (with a virtual option) is designed to offer physicians, nurses, social workers and other clinicians the information and skills needed to provide high quality palliative care to patients with serious illnesses in a variety of practice settings. It addresses the assessment and management of current challenges in palliative care, including the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering experienced by patients and their families. Through plenary sessions and small breakout groups, participants will develop a toolbox of palliative care competencies and will learn from colleagues facing similar practice challenges.
Sessions will focus on:
- Pain and symptom management
- Serious illness communication skills
- Interdisciplinary team work and collaboration across disciplines
- Prognostication
- Bereavement
- Special needs of patients at various stages of the life cycle
- Cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs and practices towards the end of life
- Ethical, legal, and policy-level challenges in serious illness
- Recent research in palliative care
Learning formats
Interactive learning formats include: Q&A, panel presentations, breakout sessions, and case based discussions .
The course is designed to change both learner competence and performance in practice for primary and specialty palliative care practitioners.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Assess and manage physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering for patients and their families dealing with serious illnesses or towards the end of life
- Develop practical strategies for discussing patient fears, hopes, goals, and wishes for care in the face of serious illness and at the end of life, including balancing hope and honesty in discussing treatment options and dealing with the ethical, psychosocial and spiritual issues that arise
- Improve the access to quality palliative care for all people with serious illness regardless of setting, diagnosis, prognosis or age
- Describe key issues and principles of pain management with opioids, including equianalgesic dosing, common side effects, addiction, tolerance, and dependence
Who should attend?
Physicians, nurses, social workers, and allied health professionals who work with patients and families with serious illness or near the end of life.