Using Contemplative Medicine to Harness Compassion in the Palliative Care Setting: Lessons Learned.

Background: Burnout is common among palliative care clinicians caring for patients with a serious illness. Contemplative medicine is an emerging approach that aims to utilize Buddhist concepts of mindfulness, insight, and compassion to address unspoken suffering in clinicians.

Objectives: To introduce and share contemplative medicine practices with Hospice Palliative Medicine (HPM) fellows participating in two academic programs in New York.

Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Navigating the Needs of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

As many people with intellectual disabilities (ID) live longer, the need for access to quality palliative care (PC) rises. People with ID realize significant barriers and inequities in accessing health care and PC. The need for integrated disability and PC services with extensive collaboration is great.

A Comprehensive Approach to Palliative Care during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge of critically ill patients that strained health care systems throughout New York City in March and April of 2020. At the peak of the crisis, consults for palliative care increased four- to sevenfold at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP), an academic health care system with 10 campuses throughout New York City. We share our challenges, solutions, and lessons learned to help peer institutions meet increased palliative care demands during future crises and address pre-existing palliative care subspecialist shortages during nonpandemic times.

Management of Respiratory Symptoms in Those with Serious Illness.

Respiratory symptoms are common in patients living with serious illness, both in cancer and nonmalignant conditions. Common symptoms include dyspnea (breathlessness), cough, malignant pleural effusions, airway secretions, and hemoptysis. Basic management of respiratory symptoms is within the scope of primary palliative care.

To Code or Not To Code: Teaching Multidisciplinary Clinicians to Conduct Code Status Discussions.

Code status discussions (CSDs) can be challenging for many clinicians. Barriers associated with them include lack of education, comfort level, and experience. To conduct an educational intervention to improve knowledge and communication approaches related to CSDs.