Ensuring competency in end-of-life care controlling symptoms.docVIP

BMC Palliative Care BioMedCentral BMC2002Palliative, Care 1 Hypothesis x Ensuring competency in end-of-life care: controlling symptoms Frank D Ferris1, Charles F von Gunten1 and Linda L Emanuel*2 Address: 1Center for Palliative Studies, San Diego Hospice, San Diego, USA and 2Buehler Center on Aging, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA E-mail: Frank D Ferris - fferis@; Charles F von Gunten - cvongunten@; Linda L Emanuel* - l-emanuel@ *Corresponding author Published: 30 July 2002 Received: 19 April 2002 Accepted: 30 July 2002 BMC Palliative Care 2002, 1:5 This article is available from: /1472-684X/1/5 ? 2002 Ferris et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This article is published in Open Access: verbatim copying and redistribution of this article are permitted in all media for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice is preserved along with the articles original URL. Abstract Background: Palliative medicine is assuming an increasingly important role in patient care. The Education for Physicians in End-of-life Care (EPEC) Project is an ambitious program to increase core palliative care skills for all physicians. It is not intended to transmit specialty level competencies in palliative care. Method: The EPEC Curriculum was developed to be a comprehensive syllabus including trainer notes, multiple approaches to teaching the material, slides, and videos of clinical encounters to trigger discussion are provided. The content was developed through a combination of expert opinion, participant feedback and selected literature review. Content development was guided by the goal of teaching core competencies not included in the training of generalist and non-palliative medicine specialist physicians. Results: Whole patient assessment forms the basis for good symptom control. Approaches to the medical management of pain, depression, anxiety, breathlessness (dyspnea), nausea/vom