Feasibility and impact of a case-based palliative care workshop for general surgery residents

A Palliative Care Curriculum May Promote Resident Self-Reflection and Address Moral Injury

INTRODUCTION

There is a lack of formal palliative care education for surgical trainees, and the demanding nature of surgical training and exposure to challenging clinical scenarios can contribute to moral injury. We developed a palliative care curriculum to promote self-reflection, aiming to address moral injury in residents.

METHODS

Five 1-h palliative care sessions were delivered over the academic year to all post-graduate year (PGY) levels covering the following topics: personal awareness, delivering bad news, surgical palliation for cancer pathology, surgical palliation for noncancer pathology, and urgent palliative care. The curriculum focused on reflection and small group discussions. The Moral Injury Symptom Scale-Health Professional was administered to assess feelings of moral injury. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared analysis, and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to compare the demographics and survey responses.

RESULTS

23 participants completed the preintervention survey, and 9 participants completed it postintervention. Over 50% of participants were PGY1 or PGY2 residents. Preintervention, 52% of participants reported feeling guilt over failing to save someone from being seriously injured or dying. 30% of participants reported that the feelings of guilt, shame, or distrust impaired their ability to function in relationships, at work, or other areas of life to at least a moderate degree.

CONCLUSIONS

The described palliative care curriculum accomplishes several goals as follows: it educates residents on palliative care topics, teaches communication tools, encourages self-reflection, and provides space for building peer relationships. The ease of implementation makes this curriculum applicable across various types of institutions, offering the potential to positively impact surgical training on a national scale.

Exploring the use of games in palliative care: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

There has been increasing recognition of the potential of games in health; however, knowledge of their application in palliative care is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and map the available evidence on the use of games in palliative care, analyzing how research has been conducted on this topic and identifying gaps in knowledge.

METHOD

A scoping review was carried out. The literature search was conducted using the respective descriptors and search syntax appropriate to each of the databases searched. The review included all study types with no time limits.

RESULTS

Of the 685 articles initially identified, 53 were included for final analysis. Several different game types were identified, with the majority of studies using role-play (n = 29) and card games (n = 17). The games analyzed were essentially aimed at empowering patients (n = 14), and in some cases, extended to families or caregivers, as well as to medical and nursing students. The analysis of the articles in this review resulted in two major themes: Role-playing for training in palliative care and card games to discuss end-of-life care.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Games allow space for the expression of emotions and promote creativity. They can be applied both in a training context, to enable health professionals to develop essential skills in palliative care, and for patients, families, and caregivers, allowing them to talk about serious things while playing.

Attitude toward end-of-life care in emergency medicine residents- can a short workshop make a difference?

BACKGROUND

There is a growing demand for palliative care (PC) in Emergency departments (ED) as the number of patients who need end-of-life (EOL) care is increasing. Despite significant variability amongst residency programs, there is a lack of structured core curriculum for PC/EOL care in most emergency medicine (EM) training programs, which often do not meet the needs of EM physicians. In this study, we evaluate the effect of a short EOL care workshop on changing the attitude of Iranian EM residents towards EOL care in ED.

METHOD

In this prospective before/after educational study at Tehran University of medical science, we enrolled 40 EM residents using a random sampling method. We obtained demographic and practice background information, and participants underwent a half-day PC training workshop designed by an expert panel. We administered a translated and validated Standard PEAS (physician End of Life Care Attitude Scale) questionnaire before and four weeks after an educational intervention. Baseline and differences in attitude were reported and compared by paired t-test, repeated measure ANOVA, and ANOVA.

RESULTS

None of the participants had prior experience of formal PC training. All of the 40 participants completed the follow-up questionnaire. Baseline attitude was not different among demographic groups. The mean (SD) PEAS score before and four weeks after the workshop was 86.9 (5.8) versus 89(6.9), respectively (P = 0.023). Residents with no previous close exposure to a terminal illness in their family members had significantly more attitude change than those with such an experience (P = 0.045).

CONCLUSION

A brief educational intervention improved EM residents' attitudes toward EOL care. The optimal design and characteristics of this educational intervention yet remain to be defined by further studies.

Palliative care management of head and neck cancer patients among otolaryngology surgeons: a novel national survey assessing knowledge, decision making, perceived confidence and training in the UK

Objective

Management of head and neck cancer patients provides unique challenges. Palliation serves to optimise quality-of-life by alleviating suffering and maintaining dignity. Prompt recognition and management of suffering is paramount to achieving this. This study aimed to assess perceived confidence, knowledge and adequacy of palliative training among UK-based otolaryngologists.

Method

Eight multiple-choice questions developed by five palliative care consultants via the Delphi method were distributed over five weeks. Knowledge, perceived confidence and palliative exposure among middle-grade and consultant otolaryngologists were assessed, alongside training deficits.

Results

Overall, 145 responses were collated from middle-grade (n = 88, 60.7 per cent) and consultant (n = 57, 39.3 per cent) otolaryngologists. The mean knowledge score was 5 out of 10, with 22.1 per cent (n = 32) stating confidence in palliative management. The overwhelming majority (n = 129, 88.9 per cent) advocated further training.

Conclusion

A broad understanding of palliative care, alongside appropriate specialist involvement, is key in meeting the clinical needs of palliative patients. Curriculum integration of educational modalities such as simulation and online training may optimise palliative care.

Palliative Care Education for Surgical Residents: Current Practices and Future Directions

Despite the benefits and increased clinical application of primary palliative care principles within surgery, palliative care education among surgical trainees remains varied and poorly defined. Through a survey of general surgery program directors, this perspective highlights current palliative care educational practices of general surgery residencies and existing curricula. Although program directors deemed palliative care education important to surgical training, barriers to improving resident education included limited overall educational time, few available palliative care experts, and the lack of a dedicated curriculum. There is a need for a surgical palliative care educational toolkit that is validated, easily available, incorporates local experts, and adjustable to the variety of educational practices of surgical programs and their residents.

Barriers to Equitable Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients with Cancer

Over the past half century, palliative care has grown to become a pillar of clinical oncology. Its practice revolves around relieving suffering and optimizing quality of life, not just dealing with end-of-life decisions. Despite evidence that palliative care has the potential to reduce health care utilization and improve advance care planning without affecting mortality, palliative care remains inequitably accessible and underutilized. Furthermore, it is still too often introduced late in the care of patients receiving surgical intervention. This article summarizes the numerous and complex barriers to equitable palliative care utilization among patients with cancer. Potential strategies for dismantling these barriers are also discussed.

Role of Palliative Medicine Training in Surgical Oncology

The importance of integrated palliative care in surgical oncology has been established by high-level evidence demonstrating improved patient-centered outcomes. There has been substantial improvement in efforts to incorporate palliative medicine training into medical and surgical education over the last decade. However, although trainees may feel confident in managing patients at the end of life, they may not have the insight or proficiency to provide optimal palliative care. Surgeons and palliative care physicians should collaborate on methods to optimize palliative care education for both trainees and practicing surgeons. A growing number of palliative care resources are available to this end.

Communication and Palliation in Trauma Critical Care: Impact of Trainee Education and Mentorship

BACKGROUND

Surgical residency training requires Advance Care Planning (ACP) and Palliative Care (PC) education. To meet education needs and align with American College of Surgeons guidelines, our Surgical Intensivists and PC faculty developed courses on communication and palliation for residents (2017-18) and fellows (2018-19). We hypothesized that education in ACP would increase ACP communication and documentation.

METHODS

The trauma registry of an academic, level 1trauma center was queried for ICU admissions from 2016-2019, excluding incarcerated and pregnant patients. A retrospective chart review was performed, obtaining frequency of ACP documentation, ACP meetings, time from admission to documentation, and PC consultation. We collected ICU quality measures as secondary outcomes: ICU Length Of Stay (LOS), hospital LOS, ventilator days, invasive procedures, discharge disposition, and mortality. Comparisons were made between years prior to (Y 1) and following implementation (Y 2: residents, Y 3: fellows).

RESULTS

For 1732 patients meeting inclusion criteria, patient demographics, injuries, and injury severity score were comparable. ACP documentation increased from 19.5% in Y 1 to 57.2% in Y 3 (P < 0.001). Time to ACP documentation was reduced from 47.6 to 13.1 h (P < 0.001) from time of admission. ICU LOS decreased from 6 to 4.8 d (P = 0.004). Patients in Y 3 had fewer tracheostomies and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies. PC consultations decreased. Mortality was unchanged.

CONCLUSION

Following trainee education, we observed increases in ACP documentation, earlier communication and improvements in ICU quality measures. Our findings suggest that trainee education positively impacts ACP documentation, reduces LOS, and improves trauma critical care outcomes.

Integrating Palliative Care on an Adult Trauma Service

Background: In 2017, the American College of Surgeons' Trauma Quality Improvement Program adopted a Palliative Care Best Practices Guidelines that calls for early palliative care for hospitalized injured patients. Objective: To develop an educational intervention to address the palliative needs of injured patients. Design: Palliative faculty presented a three-part monthly lecture series focused on core primary palliative skills, including the components of palliative care; conducting family conferences; communication skills for complex medical decision making; pain management; and, end-of-life planning. Additionally a palliative provider joined trauma team rounds every other week to highlight opportunities for enhanced palliative assessments, identify appropriate consults, and provide just-in-time teaching. Setting: Urban, level-1 trauma center. Measurements: Surgical residents completed a survey at the beginning and end of the academic year, during which the intervention took place. All survey questions were answered with a 5-point Likert scale. Rate of palliative care consultation was also tracked. Results: There were statistically significant perceived improvements in goals-of-care discussions (initial discussion-4.30 vs. 3.52, p = 0.4; follow-up discussion-3.89 vs. 3.05, p = 0.021) and documentation (3.89 vs. 2.9, p = 0.032), incorporation of patient preferences into decision making (4.20 vs. 3.43, p = 0.04), discussion of palliative needs during rounds (4.30 vs. 2.81; p < 0.001) and care transitions (3.90 vs. 3.05, p = 0.008), respect for decisions to forgo life-sustaining treatments (4.40 vs. 3.52, p = 0.004), and identification of advance directives (4.11 vs. 3.05, p = 0.002) and surrogate decision maker (4.44 vs. 3.60, p = 0.015). The overall rate of palliative specialist consultation also increased (8.4% vs. 16.1%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Embedding primary palliative education into usual didactic and rounding time for an inpatient trauma team is an effective way to help residents develop palliative skills and foster culture change. Educational partnerships such as this may serve as an example to other trauma programs.

Primary Palliative Care Education for Trainees in U.S. Medical Residencies and Fellowships: A Scoping Review

Background: The medical profession increasingly recognizes the growing need to educate nonpalliative physicians in palliative care. Objective: This study aims to provide a scoping review of the primary palliative care (PPC) education currently available to graduate medical trainees in primary and specialty tracks. Design: Studies of PPC interventions in U.S. residency or fellowship programs of all subspecialties published in English and listed on MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE through January 2020 were included. To meet admission criteria, studies had to describe the content, delivery methods, and evaluation instruments of a PPC educational intervention. Results: Of 233 eligible full texts, 85 studies were included for assessment, of which 66 were novel PPC educational interventions and 19 were standard education. Total number of publications evaluating PPC education increased from 8 (2000-2004) to 36 (2015-2019), across 11 residency and 10 fellowship specialties. Residency specialties representing the majority of publications were emergency medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, and pediatric/medicine-pediatrics. PPC content domains most taught in residencies were communication and symptom management; the primary delivery method was didactics, and the outcome assessed was attitudes. Fellowship specialties representing the majority of publications were pediatric subspecialties, nephrology, and oncology. The PPC content domain most taught in fellowships was communication; the primary delivery method was didactics and the outcome evaluated was attitudes. Conclusions: While PPC education has increased, it remains varied in content, delivery method, and intervention evaluations. Future studies should include more widespread evaluation of behavioral outcomes, longitudinal persistence of use, and clinical impact.

Surgery Residents' Experiences With Seriously-Ill and Dying Patients: An Opportunity to Improve Palliative and End-of-Life Care

OBJECTIVE

To describe how and when surgery residents provided primary palliative care and engaged specialty palliative care services.

DESIGN

Phase I consisted of a previously validated survey instrument supplemented with additional questions. We then conducted semistructured interviews with a subset of the survey respondents (Phase II). Using thematic analysis, we characterized surgery residents' perceptions of palliative care delivery among surgical patients.

SETTING

General surgery residency programs across the state of Michigan.

PARTICIPANTS

General surgery residents across the state of Michigan. All residents in participating programs were invited to complete the survey in Phase I. Phase II consisted of a subset of the survey respondents who underwent semistructured interviews. Interview respondents were sampled to reflect the overall surveyed group.

RESULTS

Among 119 survey respondents (response rate 70%), all had encountered a palliative care specialist but only 58.8% had been taught when to consult or to refer to palliative care. Survey respondents reported on a multitude of barriers within the clinician, patient and family, and systemic domains. Interviews expanded on survey findings and 4 influential factors of palliative care delivery emerged: (1) Resident Education and Training; (2) Resident Attitudes Toward Palliative Care; (3) Knowledge of Palliative Care; and (4) Training within a Surgical Culture.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals how surgery resident training and experiences impact palliative and end-of-life care for surgical patients at teaching institutions. Knowledge of how and when residents are providing primary palliative care and engaging with palliative care services will inform future knowledge and behavioral interventions for trainees who often provide care for patients nearing the end of life.

Palliative Care and Communication Training in Neurosurgery Residency: Results of a Trainee Survey

OBJECTIVE

Neurosurgeons care for critically ill patients near the end of life, yet little is known about how well their training prepares them for this role. We surveyed a random sample of neurosurgery residents to describe the quantity and quality of teaching activities related to serious illness communication and palliative care, and resident attitudes and perceived preparedness to care for seriously ill patients.

METHODS

A previously validated survey instrument was adapted to reflect required communication and palliative care competencies in the 2015 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones for Neurological Surgery. The survey was reviewed for content validity by independent faculty neurosurgeons, piloted with graduating neurosurgical residents, and distributed online in August 2016 to neurosurgery residents in the United States using the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care email listserv. Multiple choice and Likert scale responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Sixty-two responses were recorded between August 2016 and October 2016. Most respondents reported no explicit teaching on: explaining risks and benefits of intubation and ventilation (69%), formulating prognoses in neurocritical care (60%), or leading family meetings (69%). Compared to performing craniotomies, respondents had less frequent practice leading discussions about withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (61% vs. 90%, p < 0.01, "weekly or more frequently"), and were less often observed (18% vs. 87%, p < 0.01) and given feedback on their performance (11% vs. 58%, p < 0.01). Nearly all respondents (95%) felt "prepared to discuss withdrawing life-sustaining treatments," however half (48%) reported they "would benefit from more communication training during residency." Most (87%) reported moral distress, agreeing that they "participated in operations and worried whether surgery aligned with patient goals."

CONCLUSIONS

Residents in our sample reported limited formal training, and relatively less observation and feedback, on required ACGME competencies in palliative care and communication. Most reported preparedness in this domain, but many were receptive to more training. Better quality and more consistent palliative care education in neurosurgery residency could improve competency and help ensure that neurosurgical care aligns with patient goals.

Navigating the Murky Waters of Hope, Fear, and Spiritual Suffering: An Expert Co-Captain's Guide

How can surgeons deliver compassionate, holistic care to patients who are beyond cure? Interacting emotionally and understanding hope, fear, and spiritual suffering is key. Responsibly reframing hope to underlying meanings, and away from specific outcomes, is critical. Facilitating moves from cure to comfort to a peaceful dying process requires some retooling of the surgical toolbox. Surgeons possess a unique set of skills, including imagination and an undying sense of hope. Surgeons who have the courage to delve into their emotions and sustain realistic hope for their patients, all the way to the end, will reap deep personal and professional rewards.

Delays in Palliative Care Referral Among Surgical Patients: Perspectives of Surgical Residents Across the State of Michigan

CONTEXT

Palliative care services (PCS) are underutilized and frequently delayed among surgical patients. Surgical residents often serve at the forefront for patient issues, including conducting conversations regarding prognosis and goals of care.

OBJECTIVES

This qualitative study identifies critical barriers to palliative care referral among seriously ill surgical patients from the perspective of surgical residents.

METHODS

We conducted semistructured interviews with surgical residents (n = 18) across the state of Michigan, which focused on experiences with seriously ill surgical patients and PCS. Inductive thematic analysis was used to establish themes based on the research objectives and data collected.

RESULTS

Four dominant themes of resident-perceived barriers to palliative care referral were identified: 1) challenges with prognostication, 2) communication barriers, 3) respect for the surgical hierarchy, and 4) surgeon mentality. Residents consistently expressed challenges in predicting patient outcomes, and verbalizing this to both attendings and families augmented this uncertainty in seeking PCS. Communicative challenges included managing discordant provider opinions and the stigma associated with PCS. Finally, residents perceived that an attending surgeon's decisive authority and mentality negatively influenced the delivery of PCS.

CONCLUSIONS

Among resident trainees, unpredictable patient outcomes led to uncertainty in the timing and appropriateness of palliative care referral and further complicated communicating plans of care. Residents perceived and relied on the attending surgeon as the ultimate decision maker, wherein the surgeon's sense of responsibility to the patient was identified as a significant barrier to PCS referral. Further studies are needed to test surgeon-specific interventions to improve access to and delivery of PCS.

Introduction: Role of palliative care for the surgical patient

Palliative care (PC) seeks to improve the quality of life for patients facing serious illness. Several oncology organizations have guidelines about PC, reflecting the need to integrate PC into standard oncology care. Many surgical patients do not receive PC despite the need for these services and established surgical PC competencies. Recent educational and research efforts reveal increased appreciation of the need and benefit of integrating PC services with cancer care in general, and surgical care, specifically.

Surgical Versus Medical Team Assignment and Secondary Palliative Care Services for Patients Dying in a Cardiac Hospital

Background:

Secondary palliative care (SPC) provides several benefits for patients with cardiovascular disease, but historically, it has been underutilized in this population. Prior research suggests a low rate of SPC consultation by surgical teams in general, but little is known about how surgical teams utilize SPC in the setting of severe cardiovascular disease.

Aim:

To determine if surgical team assignment affects the probability of SPC for inpatients dying of cardiovascular disease.

Design:

Retrospective, cohort study.

Methods:

We identified all inpatients at a large cardiac hospital who had anticipated death under the care of a cardiology, cardiac surgery, or vascular surgery team in 2016. Our primary outcome was referral to SPC, including palliative medicine consultation or inpatient hospice care. Informed by univariate analysis, we created a multivariable logistic regression model, the significance of which was assessed with the Wald test.

Results:

Two hundred thirty-seven patients were included in our analysis: 93 (39%) received SPC and 144 (61%) were “missed opportunities.” Secondary palliative care was less frequent in patients assigned to a surgical, versus medical, team (11% vs 47%, P < .001). On multivariate analysis, surgical versus medical team assignment was the strongest risk-adjusted predictor of SPC (odds ratio [OR]: 0.10, P < .001). Other predictors of SPC included do not resuscitate status on admission (OR: 14, P < .001), length of stay (OR = 1.05/day, P < .001), and having Medicare (OR = 3.9, P = .002).

Conclusions:

Primary inpatient care by a surgical team had a strong inverse relationship with SPC. This suggests a possible cultural barrier within surgical disciplines to SPC.

Training Surgeons and Anesthesiologists to Facilitate End-of-Life Conversations With Patients and Families: A Systematic Review of Existing Educational Models

OBJECTIVE

Despite caring for patients near the end-of-life (EOL), surgeons and anesthesiologists report low confidence in their ability to facilitate EOL conversations. This discrepancy exists despite competency requirements and professional medical society recommendations. The objective of this systematic review is to identify articles describing EOL communication training available to surgeons and anesthesiologists, and to assess their methodological rigor to inform future curricular design and evaluation.

METHODS

This PRISMA-concordant systematic review identified English-language articles from PubMed, EMBASE, and manual review. Eligible articles included viewpoint pieces, and observational, qualitative, or case studies that featured an educational intervention for surgeons or anesthesiologists on EOL communication skills. Data on the study objective, setting, design, participants, intervention, and results were extracted and analyzed. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess methodological quality.

RESULTS

Database and manual search returned 2710 articles. A total of 2268 studies were screened by title and abstract, 46 reviewed in full-text, and 16 included in the final analysis. Fifteen studies were conducted exclusively in academic hospitals. Two studies included attending surgeons as participants; all others featured residents, fellows, or a mix thereof. Fifteen studies used simulated role-playing to teach and assess EOL communication skills. Measured outcomes included knowledge, attitudes, confidence, self-rated or observer-rated communication skills, and curriculum feedback; significance of results varied widely. Most studies lacked adequate methodological quality and appropriate control groups to be confident about the significance and applicability of their results.

CONCLUSIONS

There are few quality studies evaluating EOL communication training for surgeons and anesthesiologists. These programs frequently use role-playing to teach and assess EOL communication skills. More studies are needed to evaluate the effect of these interventions on patient outcomes. However, evaluating the effectiveness of these initiatives poses methodological challenges.

Palliative Care Training and Decision-Making for Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Comparison of Surgeons and Medical Physicians

BACKGROUND

Surgical decision-making in patients with advanced cancer requires careful thought and deliberation to balance the high risks with the potential palliative benefits. We sought to compare surgical decision-making and palliative care training among surgeons and medical physicians who commonly treat advanced cancer patients. We hypothesized that surgeons will report less palliative care training compared with medical physicians, and deficits in palliative care training will be associated with more aggressive treatment recommendations in clinical scenarios of advanced cancer patients with symptomatic surgical conditions.

STUDY DESIGN

Practicing surgeons, medical oncologists, intensivists, and palliative care physicians from a large urban city and its surrounding areas were surveyed with a 32-item questionnaire consisting of a survey addressing palliative care training and 4 clinical vignettes depicting patients with advanced cancer and symptomatic surgical conditions.

RESULTS

Of the 299 physicians surveyed, 102 responded (response rate 34.1%). Surgeons reported fewer hours of palliative care training during residency, fellowship, and continuing medical education combined (median 10, IQR 2-15) compared with medical oncologists (median 30, IQR 20-80) and medical intensivists (median 50 IQR 30-100), P < .05. Additionally, 20% of surgeons reported no history of any palliative care training. Analysis of physician recommendations for treatment of the 4 clinical vignettes showed minimal consensus regardless of physician specialty. Absence of palliative care training was associated with recommending major operative intervention more frequently compared with physicians with ≥40 hours of palliative care training (0.7 ± 0.7 vs 1.6 ± 0.8, P =.01).

CONCLUSION

Substantial deficiencies in palliative care training persist among surgeons and are associated with more aggressive recommendations for treatment for the selected scenarios presented in patients with advanced cancer. These findings highlight the need for greater efforts systemwide in palliative care education among surgeons, including incorporation of a structured palliative care training curriculum in graduate and continuing surgical education.

Characterizing the Role of U.S. Surgeons in the Provision of Palliative Care: A Systematic Review and Mixed-Methods Meta-Synthesis

CONTEXT

The provision of palliative care varies appropriately by clinical factors such as patient age and severity of disease and also varies by provider practice and specialty. Surgical patients are persistently less likely to receive palliative care than their medical counterparts for reasons that are not clear.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to characterize surgeon-specific determinants of palliative care in seriously ill and dying patients.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the literature focused on surgery and palliative care within PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Scopus, and Ovid Medline databases from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2016 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Quantitative and qualitative studies with primary data evaluating surgeons' attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors or experiences in care for seriously ill and dying patients were selected for full review by at least two study team members based on predefined inclusion criteria. Data were extracted based on a predetermined instrument and compared across studies using thematic analysis in a meta-synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings.

RESULTS

A total of 2589 abstracts were identified and screened, and 35 articles (26 quantitative and nine qualitative) fulfilled criteria for full review. Among these, 17 articles explored practice and attitudes of surgeons regarding palliative and end-of-life care, 11 articles assessed training in palliative care, five characterized surgical decision making, one described behaviors of surgeons caring for seriously ill and dying patients, and one explicitly identified barriers to use of palliative care. Four major themes across studies affected receipt of palliative care for surgical patients: 1) surgeons' experience and knowledge, 2) surgeons' attitudes, 3) surgeons' preferences and decision making for treatment, and 4) perceived barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the articles reviewed, surgeons overall demonstrated insight into the benefits of palliative care but reported limited knowledge and comfort as well as a multitude of challenges to introducing palliative care to their patients. These findings indicate a need for wider implementation of strategies that allow optimal integration of palliative care with surgical decision making.

Palliative Care Training in Cardiology Fellowship: A National Survey of the Fellows

Objectives:

To address perspectives of cardiology fellows on the current state of palliative education and palliative and hospice resource utilization within their fellowship experiences.

Methods:

We conducted an online national survey of cardiology fellows during the 2015 to 2016 academic year. Survey questions aimed to assess perceived importance of palliative care education, level of palliative care education during fellowship, and the structure of palliative care support at respondent institutions. Responses were collected anonymously. A total of 519 programs, including subspecialty programs, were contacted.

Results:

We received 365 responses, a number that represents roughly 14% of all cardiology fellows nationwide during the 2015 to 2016 academic year. Fellows reported discordance in the quality of education between general cardiology and palliative care principles as it relates to care of the patient approaching the end of life. Fellows infrequently received explicit training nor were observed or mentored in delivering end-of-life discussions. Respondents reported an underutilization of palliative care and hospice resources during fellowship training and also a perception that attending faculty were not routinely addressing goals of care.

Conclusions:

Our survey results highlight a need for enhanced palliative care and end-of-life training experiences for cardiology fellows and also suggest underutilization of hospice and palliative care resources for patients with advanced cardiac diseases. These findings create a platform for future work that might: (1) confirm this training deficit, (2) lead to exploration of educational models that could reconcile this deficit, and (3) potentially help improve palliative care support for patients and families facing advanced heart disease.

Palliative Care Education in Emergency Medicine Residency Training: A Survey of Program Directors, Associate Program Directors, and Assistant Program Directors

CONTEXT

Emergency medicine (EM) residents perceive palliative care (PC) skills as important and want training, yet there is a general lack of formal PC training in EM residency programs. A clearer definition of the PC educational needs of EM trainees is a research priority.

OBJECTIVES

To assess PC competency education in EM residency programs.

METHODS

This was a mixed-mode survey of residency program directors, associate program directors, and assistant program directors at accredited EM residency programs, evaluating four educational domains: 1) importance of specific competencies for senior EM residents, 2) senior resident skills in PC competencies, 3) effectiveness of educational methods, and 4) barriers to training.

RESULTS

Response rate was 50% from more than 100 residency programs. Most respondents (64%) identified PC competencies as important for residents to learn, and 59% reported that they teach7 PC skills in their residency program. In Domains 1 and 2, crucial conversations, management of pain, and management of the imminently dying had the highest scores for importance and residents' skill. In Domain 3, bedside teaching, mentoring from hospice and palliative medicine faculty, and case-based simulation were the most effective educational methods. In Domain 4, lack of PC expertise among faculty and lack of interest by faculty and residents were the greatest barriers. There were differences between competency importance and senior resident skill level for management of the dying child, withdrawal/withholding of nonbeneficial interventions, and ethical/legal issues.

CONCLUSION

There are specific barriers and opportunities for PC competency training and gaps in resident skill level. Specifically, there are discrepancies in competency importance and residency skill in the management of the dying child, nonbeneficial interventions, and ethical and legal issues that could be a focus for educational interventions in PC competency training in EM residencies.

The redefinition of aging in American surgery

CONTEXT

Adults aged sixty-five and over account for a large fraction of all surgeries performed in the United States each year. While historical growth in rates of surgery in this population is commonly attributed to financial incentives and technological innovations, the shifts in thought that underpinned the spread of surgery among the U.S. elderly remain largely unexplored. We examined changing perspectives on aging over time in American surgery through two case studies: the expansion of general surgical procedures among older U.S. adults between 1945 and 1965, and the spread of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) among the U.S. elderly between 1975 and 1995.

METHODS

For this article, we used close readings of historical journal articles, textbook excerpts, survey reports, and government documents related to surgery and aging.

FINDINGS

Similar perspectives on aging informed the spread of both general surgical procedures among older adults after World War II and CABG in the elderly from the mid-1970s onward. In each case, surgeons argued against earlier views that surgery was contraindicated in old age using rhetoric that negated the relevance of age to medical decisions. Furthermore, surgeons elevated other types of information-such as the presence or absence of chronic diseases-to supplant age as an explanation for the high operative mortality rates seen among older patients. By stressing the modifiability of operative risk in the elderly, surgeons' arguments positioned old age itself as a new surgical "frontier."

CONCLUSIONS

Surgeons' arguments for the expansion of surgery among the U.S. elderly over time worked to negate the relevance of age to medical decisions and to portray the wider use of surgery in the elderly as uniformly beneficial. While potentially promoting broader access to surgical care, such perspectives may also have contributed to ongoing health policy challenges by normalizing surgery at any stage in the life-course, with implications for current patterns of surgical utilization and medical spending.

Palliative medicine physician education in the United States: a historical review

In this review we discuss the history of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) physician education in the United States over the last 20 years, as there has been dramatic growth in our specialty during this time. A Medline literature search was completed and we surveyed leaders in the field of HPM education regarding their experiences in promoting palliative medicine education. Educators were selected based on their peer reviewed publications on key educational initiatives since 1990. A survey tool was designed and emailed to 18 educators across the country and follow-up phone interviews were done to further explore specific questions. The survey and interviews sought information about major palliative care education milestones, instrumental projects, and barriers to further development of palliative medicine education.