Hospice is Still Special

When socializing with fellow young physicians, most of whom are not in palliative medicine, I am reminded, in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, I have the unique opportunity to share time and attention with my patients. We reflect on “the old days” of medicine, where physicians had long standing relationships with their patients which allowed them to more easily direct medical decision-making which was appropriate for the individual patient. I often tell others I chose this field because it is the closest thing to that particular kind of medicine, where we can still do ‘the right thing’ for patients, most of the time. That although many parts of hospice are very rigid (eg. 6 month prognosis, palliative goals only) we still have significant freedom to adjust the plan of care to meet the needs of our individual patients. My friends envy the extended visits I have with patients where I learn about their family and friends and, by doing so, also learn about their goals and fears. The time I am permitted to invest in my patients allows me to find out who the person is and then work to match the medicine to their needs. My colleagues often talk about the opposite - how their job is to make the people fit the medicine. We've marveled over this golden part of medicine where, at least as they die, hospice provides patients what they really need to live well. Most of us practicing in this field recognize this could not continue indefinitely. With increasing complexity o...
Source: Pallimed: A Hospice and Palliative Medicine Blog - Category: Palliative Carer Workers Authors: Source Type: blogs