Registration is open for January 27-28, 2025, in-person or live virtual. Please click here to apply.
Practical Aspects of Palliative Care (PAPC) is a two-day course designed to offer physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, chaplains, and other healthcare professionals the information and skills needed to provide high quality palliative care to patients with serious illnesses in a variety of practice settings.
PAPC will be offered in person in the Boston area and in a live virtual format on January 27-28, 2025.
In addition to intensive plenary sessions and interactive breakout sessions, learners can enjoy opportunities to engage informally with one another and with course faculty. We expect that the course will convene palliative care professionals from throughout the world, as has been the case in past runs.
Pricing for PAPC is as follows: $1,015 for physicians, $925 for nurses, psychologists and allied health professionals, and $675 for social workers and chaplains. Discounts are available for groups from the same organization of 5-9 (10%) and groups of 10 or more (20%). Please contact pallcare@partners.org for additional information about group participation and discounts.
PAPC addresses the assessment and management of current challenges in palliative care, including the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering experienced by patients and their families. This year’s course will present three new plenary sessions, including a focus on health equity. Breakout sessions will include pain and symptom management; serious illness communication skills; interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration across disciplines; leading a family meeting; caring for adolescent and young adult patients; home-based palliative care; and current practice, research, and trends in palliative care.
Through their participation in PAPC, clinicians will have advanced their skills to assess and manage physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering for patients and their families dealing with serious illnesses or towards the end of life; develop practical strategies for discussing patient fears, hopes, goals, and wishes for care in the face of serious illness and at the end of life, including balancing hope and honesty in discussing treatment options and dealing with the ethical, psychosocial and spiritual issues that arise; and describe key issues and principles of pain management.
Tuition
| Physicians | Nurses/Psychologists/ Allied Health Professionals |
Social Workers, Chaplains | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition Rate | $1,015 | $925 | $675 |
Course description
This two-day in-person course (with a virtual option) is designed to offer physicians, nurses, social workers and other clinicians the information and skills needed to provide high quality palliative care to patients with serious illnesses in a variety of practice settings. It addresses the assessment and management of current challenges in palliative care, including the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering experienced by patients and their families. Through plenary sessions and small breakout groups, participants will develop a toolbox of palliative care competencies and will learn from colleagues facing similar practice challenges.
Sessions will focus on:
- Pain and symptom management
- Serious illness communication skills
- Interdisciplinary team work and collaboration across disciplines
- Prognostication
- Bereavement
- Special needs of patients at various stages of the life cycle
- Cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs and practices towards the end of life
- Ethical, legal, and policy-level challenges in serious illness
- Recent research in palliative care
Learning formats
Interactive learning formats include: Q&A, panel presentations, breakout sessions, and case based discussions .
The course is designed to change both learner competence and performance in practice for primary and specialty palliative care practitioners.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Assess and manage physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering for patients and their families dealing with serious illnesses or towards the end of life
- Develop practical strategies for discussing patient fears, hopes, goals, and wishes for care in the face of serious illness and at the end of life, including balancing hope and honesty in discussing treatment options and dealing with the ethical, psychosocial and spiritual issues that arise
- Improve the access to quality palliative care for all people with serious illness regardless of setting, diagnosis, prognosis or age
- Describe key issues and principles of pain management with opioids, including equianalgesic dosing, common side effects, addiction, tolerance, and dependence
Who should attend?
Physicians, nurses, social workers, and allied health professionals who work with patients and families with serious illness or near the end of life.
Course Dates
January 27 and 28, 2025
Course Location
This hybrid course will welcome learners to join us in person in the Boston area or online for virtual livestreaming. The in-person experience will take place at Peter K. Markell Center at Assembly Row (399 Revolution Drive, Somerville, MA 02145).
Course description
This two-day in-person course (with a virtual option) is designed to offer physicians, nurses, social workers and other clinicians the information and skills needed to provide high quality palliative care to patients with serious illnesses in a variety of practice settings. It addresses the assessment and management of current challenges in palliative care, including the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering experienced by patients and their families. Through plenary sessions and small breakout groups, participants will develop a toolbox of palliative care competencies and will learn from colleagues facing similar practice challenges.
Sessions will focus on:
- Pain and symptom management
- Serious illness communication skills
- Interdisciplinary team work and collaboration across disciplines
- Prognostication
- Bereavement
- Special needs of patients at various stages of the life cycle
- Cultural, religious and spiritual beliefs and practices towards the end of life
- Ethical, legal, and policy-level challenges in serious illness
- Recent research in palliative care
Learning formats
Interactive learning formats include: Q&A, panel presentations, breakout sessions, and case based discussions .
The course is designed to change both learner competence and performance in practice for primary and specialty palliative care practitioners.
Learning objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
- Assess and manage physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential sources of suffering for patients and their families dealing with serious illnesses or towards the end of life
- Develop practical strategies for discussing patient fears, hopes, goals, and wishes for care in the face of serious illness and at the end of life, including balancing hope and honesty in discussing treatment options and dealing with the ethical, psychosocial and spiritual issues that arise
- Improve the access to quality palliative care for all people with serious illness regardless of setting, diagnosis, prognosis or age
- Describe key issues and principles of pain management with opioids, including equianalgesic dosing, common side effects, addiction, tolerance, and dependence
Who should attend?
Physicians, nurses, social workers, and allied health professionals who work with patients and families with serious illness or near the end of life.
Competencies
This course is designed to meet the following competencies:
American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)/Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies:
- Patient Care and Procedural Skills
- Medical Knowledge
- Practice-based Learning and Improvement
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
- Professionalism to ABMS
Institute of Medicine (IOM) competencies:
- Provide Patient-centered Care
- Work in Interdisciplinary Teams
- Employ Evidence-based Practice
- Apply Quality Improvement
Accreditation
The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society, or college as accredited group learning activities.
Through an agreement between the American Medical Association and the European Union of Medical Specialists, physicians may convert AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ to an equivalent number of European CME Credits® (ECMECs®). Information on the process of converting AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ to ECMECs® can be found at: www.eaccme.eu.
Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits
Maximum of 12.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Risk Management credits (in Massachusetts)
Risk Management: General: 12.75
Risk Management: End-of-Life Care Studies: 12.75
Risk Management: Opioid Education and Training: 2.50
Risk Management: Medical Marijuana: 1.25
Please check with your individual state licensing board requirements before claiming these credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Social Work Continuing Education credits
This program has been approved for 12.5 Social Work Continuing Education hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR 31.00. NASW-MA Chapter CE Approving Program, Authorization Number D92077.
Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits
Harvard Medical School is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. This activity is approved for 12.75 contact hours, of which 5.0 is eligible for pharmacology credit.
This activity was reviewed by Kimberly Whalen RN, MS, CCRN, HMS Lead Nurse Planner, who has no relationships to disclose.
Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Registration
Registration by credit card (VISA, MasterCard or American Express) or check can be made through Harvard Medical School’s secure online registration system. Registration by check (draft on a United States bank), please make payable to Harvard Medical School. Learners who choose to pay by check will be prompted to download an online form to send in with a payment. Telephone or fax registration is not accepted. Registration with cash payment is not permitted. Upon receipt of your payment, you will receive an email confirmation. Be sure to include an email address that you check frequently. Your email address is used for critical information including registration confirmation, evaluation and certificate.
Refunds, less an administrative fee of $75, will be issued for all cancellations received at least two weeks prior to the start of the course. Refund requests must be made in our secure online system or by email. “No shows” are subject to the full course fee.
Tuition
Questions
Phone: (617) 384-8600, Monday-Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (ET)
Email: CEPrograms@hms.harvard.edu