Practical Aspects of Palliative Care (PAPC): Integrating Palliative Care into Clinical Practice

For physicians, nurses, social workers, and allied health professionals who work with patients and families with serious illness or near the end of life.

Led by faculty from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston College School of Social Work, Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, Care Dimensions, MGB Home-Based Palliative Care, and Veteran Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Practical Aspects of Palliative Care (PAPC) provides the information and skills necessary to deliver high-quality palliative care to patients with serious illnesses in a wide range of practice settings. Sessions will focus on a wide range of topics, including pain and symptom management, communication skills, and collaborative teamwork across disciplines and roles. 

A foundational program in palliative care for new and experienced clinicians
HMS course (#732740-2401)

Tuition

 

  Physicians Nurses/Psychologists/
Allied Health Professionals
Social Workers, Chaplains
Tuition Rate $1015 (USD) $925 (USD) $695 (USD)

Credits

Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits*
A maximum of 12.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
 

*Please note that CEUs for social work are pending and will be posted, as soon as possible. 


Risk Management credits (in Massachusetts)
Risk Management: General: 12.75

Risk Management: End-of-life Care Studies: 12.75

Risk Management: Opioid Education and Training: 2.5

Risk Management: Medical Marijuana: 1.25
 

Social Work Continuing Education credits

 

This program has been approved for 12.5 Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR 31.00. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D92077.


Continuing Nursing Education (CNEs) credits
A maximum of 12.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ of which, 5.0 is eligible for pharmacology credit

 

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. 

Course Dates

October 16th & 17th, 2023

Course Location

This course is designed as an in-person experience and will take place at Peter K. Markell Center at Assembly Row (399 Revolution Drive, Somerville, MA 02145). In-person participants will have a full range of choices for breakout sessions. There will be a virtual option, as well; online participants will be assigned to specific breakout sessions. 

Register Now

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. 

Competencies

This course is designed to meet the following competencies:

American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)/Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies:

  • Patient Care and Procedural Skills
  • Medical Knowledge
  • Practice-based Learning and Improvement
  • Interpersonal and Communication Skills
  • Professionalism to ABMS

Institute of Medicine (IOM) competencies:

  • Provide Patient-centered Care
  • Work in Interdisciplinary Teams
  • Employ Evidence-based Practice
  • Apply Quality Improvement

Accreditation

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.

Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society, or college as accredited group learning activities. 

Through an agreement between the American Medical Association and the European Union of Medical Specialists, physicians may convert AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ to an equivalent number of European CME Credits® (ECMECs®). Information on the process of converting AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ to ECMECs® can be found at: www.eaccme.eu.

Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits

Maximum of 12.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Risk Management credits (in Massachusetts)

Risk Management: General: 12.75

Risk Management: End-of-Life Care Studies: 12.75

Risk Management: Opioid Education and Training: 2.50

Risk Management: Medical Marijuana: 1.25

 

Please check with your individual state licensing board requirements before claiming these credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Social Work Continuing Education credits

This program has been approved for 12.5 Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR 31.00. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D92077.

Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits

Harvard Medical School is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.  This activity is approved for 12.75 contact hours, of which 5.0 is eligible for pharmacology credit. 

This activity was reviewed by Kimberly Whalen RN, MS, CCRN, HMS Lead Nurse Planner, who has no relationships to disclose. 

Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Registration is open

https://cmeregistration.hms.harvard.edu/PAPC2023

Registration by credit card (VISA, MasterCard or American Express) or check can be made through Harvard Medical School’s secure online registration system.  Registration by check (draft on a United States bank), please make payable to Harvard Medical School. Learners who choose to pay by check will be prompted to download an online form to send in with a payment. Telephone or fax registration is not accepted. Registration with cash payment is not permitted. Upon receipt of your payment, you will receive an email confirmation. Be sure to include an email address that you check frequently. Your email address is used for critical information including registration confirmation, evaluation and certificate.

Refunds, less an administrative fee of $75, will be issued for all cancellations received at least two weeks prior to the start of the course. Refund requests must be made in our secure online system or by email. “No shows” are subject to the full course fee.

Tuition

Physicians: $1015 (USD)
Nurses, psychologists, allied health professionals: $925 (USD)
Social workers, chaplains: $695 (USD)

Questions

Phone: (617) 384-8600, Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (ET)
Email: CEPrograms@hms.harvard.edu