Symptom Showdown
This is the most common symptom reported by patients with advanced cancer
What is Fatigue?
This prognosis is a requirement to qualify for hospice care
What is six months?
This communication strategy involves sitting quietly, typically after a strong emotion is expressed, and can allow the patient space to elaborate.
What is strategic silence?
This principle is often used to justify the aggressive titration of opioid and other comfort medications at the end of life, even at the risk of hastening a dying process
What is the principle of double effect?
This prognosis (or less) is required to be seen by a sub-specialist palliative care team
Trick question: No prognostic requirement exists for palliative care
This non-pharmacologic intervention can be helpful for the management of terminal congestion
What is positioning a patient on their side?
This is the most common location for hospice care to be delivered
What is at home?
This communication technique can involve repeating a patient's statements back to them, either verbatim or using slightly different words and is a key component of active listening
What are reflective statements?
This is the percentage (roughly) of Americans in the United States who have access to medical aid in dying
What is 33%?
This opioid is commonly (incorrectly) believed to be the most effective for the management of breathlessness
What is morphine
This condition includes weight loss, muscle wasting, and inflammation in advanced illness and often does not reverse with nutrition alone
What is cachexia?
This is the median length of stay for patients on hospice.
What is 2-3 weeks?
This acronym describes using simple, straightforward terms when presenting medical information to a patient or faimly
What is K.I.S.S.? (Keep it Simple, Stupid)
This term is used to describe medical interventions that provide no benefit to the patient
What is medical futility or non-beneficial treatment?
This commonly-used medication is ineffective for the treatment of cancer and/or opioid-induced constipation
What is colace?
This agent has been shown to improve the mentation of patients with delirium
What is nothing at all?
Hospice was initially designed specifically for this group of diagnoses
What are oncologic diseases?
This term is used to describe a style of communication that can involve eye contact and body language
What is non-verbal communication?
This ethical principle should guide surrogate decision makers when making medical decisions for an incapacitated patient
What is substituted judgement?
This is the most commonly cited reason people give for pursuing medical aid in dying
What is loss of autonomy?
This form of distress involves fear, hopelessness, loss of meaning, or feeling like a burden near the end of life
What is existential distress?
This is the percentage of patients enrolled in hospice that will ultimately unenroll?
What is 10-15%?
This form of communication is recommended when trying to set limits around non-beneficial treatment at the end of life
What is non-dissent communication?
This woman was at the center of landmark legal case, that established the right of a surrogate decision maker to request with withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments on behalf of an incapacitated adults
Who was Karen Quinlan?
These medical interventions are not allowed under a hospice plan of care
Trick question: The hospice plan of care does not forbid any intervention