Introduction to Serious Illness Communication (For BORIM)

This course will fulfill your BORIM End-of-Life Issues requirement. 

Current problem/issue: Conversations about patients’ values, goals, and prognosis in serious illness (‘serious illness conversations’) occur late in the illness course and sometimes not at all. Inadequate serious illness communication contributes to suffering for patients and their caregivers, moral distress for clinicians, and burdensome care that may not align with patients’ priorities. While most clinicians view serious illness communication as important, fewer than one-third of clinicians report that they received formal training in serious illness communication skills.

How will this program help resolve the current problem/issue: The Serious Illness Care Program is an evidence-based intervention that includes communication tools, clinician skills training, and targeted system-changes. Clinical research demonstrates that SICP results in more, earlier, and better conversations, lower rates of anxiety and depression for patients, and positive patient and clinician experiences.

Desired outcome(s): The centerpiece of SICP is the Serious Illness Conversation Guide. The Guide is a patient-tested, evidence-based framework and tool for health professionals to use with patients and/or their caregivers. Its purpose is to prepare clinicians to: understand and honor patients’ values and goals in the context of serious illness; strengthen relationships, connection, and rapport; partner with patients in decision-making longitudinally; enhance patient’s sense of control and preparation for the future; provide emotional support to improve patient experience and well-being

Target Audience

This activity is intended for health professionals who care for individuals with serious illness (e.g. physicians (MD, DO), nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, social workers, chaplains, community health workers, etc).

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the benefits of serious illness communication for patients and clinicians
  2. Become familiar with the Serious Illness Conversation Guide – a structured approach to conversations about patients’ prognosis, values, and goals in serious illness
  3. Identify strategies to respond to emotion and to incorporate serious illness conversations into practice

Additional Information

Provided by: 

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Ariadne Labs & Mass General Brigham

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 2.00 Participation
Course opens: 
09/16/2022
Course expires: 
03/31/2025
Cost:
$0.00

Joanna Paladino, MD - Course Director
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Rachelle Bernacki, MD, MS
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

Erik Fromme, MD, MCR, FAAHPM
Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

Daniel K. Kobrin M. Ed.
Program Manager, Education and Training - Quality & Patient Experience
Mass General Brigham

Josh Lakin, MD
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Justin Sanders, MD, MSc, FAAHPM
Kappy and Eric M. Flanders Chair of Palliative Care
Director, Palliative Care McGill
Associate Professor, McGill University

 

In support of improving patient care, Mass General Brigham is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Mass General Brigham designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosure Summary of Relevant Financial Relationships

The following planners have reported no relevant financial relationship with an ineligible company:

Daniel K. Kobrin M. Ed.

The following faculty have reported no relevant financial relationships with an ineligible company:

Joanna Paladino, MD
Rachelle E. Bernacki, MD, MS, FAAHPM, AGSF
Erik Fromme, MD, MCR, FAAHPM
Joshua Lakin, MD
Justin Sanders, MD, MSc, FAAHPM

Available Credit

  • 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 2.00 Participation

Price

Cost:
$0.00
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