Palliative care is interprofessional as it was meant to be

Speaker

Brian D. Carpenter, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
Professor of Medicine, Division of Palliative Medicine
Washington University in St. Louis

Recording

Bio

Brian Carpenter is a clinical psychologist, Professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Faculty Lead for Educational Initiatives at the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at Washington University. Dr. Carpenter received a B.A. from Williams College and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Case Western Reserve University. After completing a predoctoral internship at the New Orleans Veterans Affairs Medical Center, he completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Portland Oregon VA Healthcare System. His teaching, research, and clinical interests focus on family relationships in later life, with an emphasis on communication among older adults, their family members, and their healthcare providers, particularly in the realms of Alzheimer’s disease and end-of-life care. 

Abstract

Palliative care is a specialty healthcare service designed to provide superlative support to people with serious illness and their care partners. To accomplish it, palliative care involves a team from several disciplines, each of whom provides a unique perspective and set of skills. Yet they also work in close collaboration, with an emphasis on sensitive communication and supportive decision making. From its conception, palliative care has been the ideal example of interprofessional collaboration. This presentation reviews the evolution of palliative care, its goals and application, and current issues and priorities as palliative care matures.