The State of Palliative Care Education in United States Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Programs: Heterogeneity and Opportunity for Growth.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians routinely care for patients with serious illness and injury who could benefit from an integrated palliative care approach due to the propensity for high or complex symptom burden. Despite this, it has been unknown whether and how physical medicine and rehabilitation residency programs are equipping residents with a foundational palliative care skillset. We report national survey results characterizing the current status of palliative care education within US physical medicine and rehabilitation residency programs.

Integrating Palliative Care Into Physiatric Care: Perspective of the Association of Academic Physiatrists Physiatry Palliative Care Task Force.

There are opportunities for physiatrists to apply a palliative care lens within clinical encounters across rehabilitation settings. The expanding population of patients with serious illness and injury cared for by physiatrists and the anticipated shortage of specialty palliative care clinicians make it important that physiatrists hone and apply basic palliative care skills as part of comprehensive physiatric care. In this article, four clinical vignettes highlight relevant palliative care communication skills and demonstrate the value of integrating these skills within physiatry encounters.

Subspecialty Training: Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Physiatrists care for patients and families with complex medical needs, and primary palliative care is an important part of the comprehensive rehabilitation care plan. Palliative care improves patient and family quality of life and reduces healthcare costs. Clinical care guidelines for several physiatry patient populations now include the provision of palliative care.