The Difference between Palliative Care and Hospice that result in Barriers to Care. What you will learn from this module:   Learn the assumptions and perceptions patients and their families have about the purpose of transitioning to hospice care. Understand the myths associated with agreeing to receive palliative care. Understand that palliative care stands alone and should be part of a patient’s care from the beginning when they are diagnosed with advanced cancer. Learn the barriers to implementing palliative care. Learn the value of palliative care when delivering patient centered care. Learn about how palliative care is also part of hospice care.

Advising Patients How To Communicate Information to Others about their Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment. What you will learn from this module: Learn about cancer patients feel isolated from their usual social community. Understand a cancer patients frustrations with lay people who insist on giving them advice how to manage their cancer. Learn about some metastatic breast cancer patients feeling angry when questioned by acquaintances if they “really have cancer.” Learn about the assumptions society makes regarding physical appearance of someone with cancer. Learn about the societal stigma associated with some cancers. Understand that barriers can exist within certain races regarding sharing cancer information with anyone, even family.

Of everything we do for our patients, the most important thing we can give them is honesty. What you will learn from this module: Learn that being honest with patients about their disease and its prognosis is very important for patients to know so they can plan out the remainder of their lives. Honesty doesn’t take away hope; it helps the patient move through phases of hope. 50% of the time, doctors do not disclose the patients’ actual prognosis. Patients do not understand or know the difference between palliative chemotherapy and active chemotherapy treatments, unless they are told.  Teaching patients to be optimistic for as long as it is realistic, while having an end of life plan in place should be our mantra. Avoidance of honesty may be linked to an oncologist’s feelings of believing they have failed the patient by not being able to save or sustain their life.