Table of Contents

Section 1: Essential Aspects of Serious Illness Patient Care: Structure and Processes
Chapter 1 The Physician Assistant's Role in Palliative Care Medicine
Ruth Ballweg, Tonda Anderson, and Michael L. Powe
Chapter 2 Palliative Models of Care Delivery
Britni Lookabaugh and Charles von Gunten
Chapter 3 Evolution of the Palliative Team
Britni Lookabaugh and Charles von Gunten
Chapter 4 Whole-Person Assessment of the Patient
Betty Ferrell, Vanessa Battista and Ellen T. Friedmann
Chapter 5 Enhanced Communication Skills
Myra Glajchen and Christine Wilkins
Chapter 6 Decision-Making Toolkit
Jeffrey D. Myers

Section 2: Spiritual, Religious, and Existential Aspects of Care
Chapter 7 Clinical Interprofessional Model of Spiritual Care: Assessing for and Treating Spiritual Distress
Christina M. Puchalski
Chapter 8 Foundational Guidance in Grief and Bereavement
Jamie Beachy
Chapter 9 Caring for the Palliative Care Clinician: Fostering Resilience
Jamie Beachy, Maureen J. Shelton, and Timothy Harrison

Section 3: Illness Burden and Its Management: Physical Aspects of Care
Chapter 10 Constitutional
Lara Desanti-Siska, Shawn Fellows, and Nicholas Polito
Chapter 11 Gastrointestinal
Kimberly Angelia Curseen, Denise Rizzolo, and Mark Deutchman
Chapter 12 Cardiopulmonary
Kimberly Angelia Curseen and Jabeen Taj
Chapter 13 Genitourinary Issues in Palliative Care
Min Ji Kim and Kimberson Tanco
Chapter 14 Assessment and Management of Pain
Russell K. Portenoy, Ebtesam Ahmed, and Calvin Krom
Chapter 15 Psychological and Psychiatric Aspects of Care
Scott A. Irwin, Jeremy Hirst, Manuel Trachsel, Chase Samsel, Joshua Briscoe, and Nicole Bates

Section 4: Special Populations and Communities
Chapter 16 Pediatric Population
Stefan J. Friedrichsdorf, Farah Khalid, and Noelle Noah
Chapter 17 Older Adult Population
Harry Strothers and Dipenkumar Patel
Chapter 18 LGBTQ Community
Diane Bruessow
Chapter 19 Patients With Substance Use Disorder
Hunter Woodall
Chapter 20 Veteran Population
Holly Pilewski
Chapter 21 Prisoners' and Ex-Offenders' Community
Catherine R. Judd and Marguerite R. Poreda

Section 5: Care Transitions Including End of Life
Chapter 22 Withdrawal of Life Support
Richard Ackermann
Chapter 23 Last Days and Hours of Life
Richard Ackermann
Chapter 24 Transitions in Palliative and End-of-Life Care
Karl Steinberg and Michael Fratkin

Section 6: Social, Cultural, and Legal Aspects of Care
Chapter 25 Family Stress: Including Cultural Context
Denis Snow and Mary Ellen Lasala
Chapter 26 Ethical and Legal Issues: Evaluation and Management
Bonnie K. Cole-Gifford and Kathlyn F. Wohlrabe

About the Author

Dr. Nadya Dimitrov is a Clinical Associate Professor at Stony Brook University (SBU) PA Program, NY, and an Affiliate Faculty at Shiley CSU Institute for Palliative Care at San Marcos CA. At Stony Brook University, she is a member of the Telehealth Board and Ethics Committees.

Ms. Kathy Kemle has been an Assistant Professor at the Mercer University School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine since 1994. While there, she assisted Dr. Richard Ackermann in establishing a geriatric fellowship program and a Palliative Medicine fellowship for the same department.

Reviews

This volume fills an important information need in physician assistant (PA) practice, addressing the participation of PAs in palliative care and management of serious illness.
*J. M. Miller, CHOICE*

[This] is a well written text that provides a clinician with a good introduction into the field of Palliative Care...It stresses the need to look beyond clinical interventions and decisions and helps the clinician to focus on the patient's goals of treatment, and their emotional and spiritual needs as well....It is an excellent resource for clinicians in any field of medicine who have difficult conversations with patients and family members [and] describes helpful strategies and tools for the provider to prepare for and to facilitate difficult conversations...I have begun to incorporate key lessons from the book into my own practice, and it has increased my confidence when having discussions with patients and family members. I would recommend the text to all healthcare providers and students.
*Steven Fischer, MS, PA-C*