Free Continuing Education and Resources to Support Palliative Care

 

As part of Ascension’s ongoing effort to ensure the highest quality of care for our patients living with serious illness, and their families, we are pleased to offer additional clinical education courses and resources to all members of our care teams.   Our new partnership with the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) provides our clinicians unlimited access to an extensive curriculum of courses across many facets of serious illness. The online clinical courses are case-based, interactive, and provide free continuing education credits for physicians, nurses, social workers, and case managers from all specialties, as well as free American Board of Internal Medicine (AIBM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits for physicians. Courses are designed to fill gaps in training and increase clinician comfort, knowledge, and skill in:  Understanding the hopes, fears, goals, and preferences of patients and their families Supporting patients and caregivers through the experience of serious illness, including dementia Relieving physical and emotional suffering Having difficult conversations Coordinating care to prevent crises Primary palliative care education is a key clinical priority with the goal of improving the patient’s quality of life by alleviating symptom burden, improving emotional well-being, and increasing communication and continuity of care, while also relieving caregiver burden. A recent needs assessment survey of 2,582 Ascension associates, resulted in 18% of respondents requesting training about end-of-life issues and palliative care to fulfill mandatory education requirements in their state.   Clinicians may reference the one-page reference guide that includes a QR code to help them set up their account and access courses and resources education. For assistance setting up your account or accessing courses, contact membership@capc.org. Reprinted from the Inside Ascension Medical Group Newsletter, June 2022.