New York Palliative Care Information Act

The New York Times journalist Jane Brody writes Frank Talk About Care at Life’s End an article published yesterday on the New York Palliative Care Information Act. The new bill, signed by New York governor Patterson, states that New York doctors and nurse practitioners must speak with terminally ill patients about hospice, palliative care and appropriate end-of-life options.

In the article, CAPC’s Diane Meier states:

…The law does not help doctors and nurses acquire the expertise they need to hold meaningful end-of-life discussions with their patients. To increase competency in palliative care, she said, courses in medical and nursing schools and a continuing-education requirement for practicing physicians are essential.

This bill was discussed briefly today on NPR radio in association with the new blockbuster palliative care study. Listen to Dr. Diane Meier and other experts on the Diane Rehm Show, which aired earlier this morning, and Diane’s blog post on the Hartford Foundation website.