HEALTH CARE
Dr. Blackmer admitted that it can be challenging, as physicians, to make that shift in focus from cure to comfort, and
refers to the example of a terminal patient whose gangrenous leg is amputated despite having only days or weeks
to live.
This physician tells her patients to “Have that conversation
with each other and let them know what you want and
what you don’t want, because when you get to a time of
crisis it’s [the decision] already made, because they had that
conversation.”
“It’s easier to do what you’re trained to do instead of thinking about what would really be the most appropriate course
of action for a person at this point in their life,” he went on,
“We need to do more of that palliative approach.”
Dr. Blackmer applauded this practice and explained that
end-of-life conversations are often difficult ones for patients
to have with their families so “it’s up to the doctor to start it,
to normalize it, to say, ‘This is a part of your medical care –
now go home and have that discussion with your family.’”
Advance care planning
A rural physician from the southern part of the province
touched on the importance of talking with patients about
their wishes for end of life. At each annual checkup, she asks
her patients what their wishes are and who she should talk
to if they are unable to speak for themselves.
Not knowing what a patient would have wanted can be
challenging for physicians and distressing for families.
The CMA concluded its 11 stop series of public and CMA member town hall discussions on end-of-life care on May 27, 2014.
A report of the findings from the public town halls has been
compiled and is now available on the CMA website at www.
cma.ca/advocacy/end-of-life-care. The report containing findings from the CMA member town halls, of which this Regina
discussion was a part, will be available later this summer. The
contents of these reports will form the foundation of CMA advocacy on these issues and inform future policy development.
END-OF-LIFE RESOURCES:
to support your practice
These online resources provide accessible palliative care support to you 24 hours per day, 7 days per week,
regardless of your practice location.
Canadian Virtual Hospice (CVH)
www.virtualhospice.ca
CVH is one of the most comprehensive online collections of peerreviewed palliative and end-of-life resources available. It provides:
• credible information for you and your patients from an interdisciplinary team of palliative care experts;
• 400 Tools for Practice;
• videos, articles and tools to support palliative care delivery in
First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Aboriginal communities;
• Asked & Answered questions and Topics articles on end of life;
• a Gallery of brief videos by national and international palliative care experts;
• and the Ask a Professional portal where physicians (or their
patients) can submit a confidential end-of-life question and
receive a response from one of CVH’s palliative care experts.
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SMA NEWS DIGEST | SUMMER 2014
Dignity in Care
www.dignityincare.ca
Dignity in Care can help you implement a palliative approach
to care in your practice. Based on 15 years of research from
world-renowned palliative care expert, Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov, this site provides practical ideas and tools to support
a culture of compassion and respect throughout the health
care system.
Speak up: Advance Care Planning
www.advancecareplanning.ca
The CHPCA’s Speak Up campaign urges everyone to talk with
their physician and those closest to them about their wishes for
end-of-life care. The website provides tools to help you start the
conversation with your patients and materials for you to send
home with them to help them make an advance care plan that
reflects their wishes and values.