VIDEO 4 – CLINICAL TIPS TAB – AMBER THOMASSEN
10th Annual Winter Cancer Symposium | San Juan, Puerto Rico | March 5 – 7,2021
Challenges In End of Life Care
Presented by Amber Thomassen
Nurse Practitioner
Phase 1 Research
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Miami School of Medicine
Miami, FL
KEY TAKEAWAY POINTS
- Honest communication with patients regarding their prognosis at the initial visit
- Having a point person at the office who can discuss advanced care planning (i.e. advanced directives)
- Scheduling a specific time to discuss hospice within the first three visits
- Offer to discuss the patient’s prognosis, coping strategies, and goals of care at each transition
- Clinicians can contextualize goals of care that preserve hope and optimism while maintaining appropriate treatment aims
