ABSTRACT
Ideal patient care involves interprofessional collaboration and therefore emphasizes the importance of communicating how roles and responsibilities differ to create a team environment critical for providing optimal patient care. In light of the ongoing opioid epidemic associated with chronic pain, this interprofessional simulation focused on utilizing an interprofessional team approach to recognize the biopsychosocial and pharmacologic aspects of chronic pain management through creation of a patient-centered care plan using a virtual platform. Virtual IPE events can be performed by institutions with limited access to other healthcare disciplines for remote learning opportunities and can be adapted to develop comprehensive strategies to evaluate effectiveness of learning interventions among varied disciplines. Participants from the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Health Related Professions, including occupational and physical therapy, participated in the virtual simulation event. The format was chosen to adhere to current COVID-19 safety guidelines and facilitate easier scheduling between disciplines. The event included individual pre-work through an online learning management system leading to a 2-h virtual simulation event. Interprofessional Education Collaborative, or IPEC developed competencies focused on communication and teamwork to establish activity objectives. International Association for the Study of Pain, or IASP, pain curriculum outlines provided additional objectives and guided presented information on best practice approaches for interprofessional pain management. Objectives were evaluated through peer team feedback, peer discipline feedback, and assessment of the comprehensive team care plan that consisted of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic pain management strategies. Programmatic review demonstrated students were able to have effective communication that led to a holistic patient care plan at the end of this activity.
ABSTRACT
According to the WHO guideline, palliative care is an integral component of COVID-19 management. The relief of physical symptoms and the provision of psychosocial support should be practiced by all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. In this review, we aim to provide a simple outline on COVID-19, suffering in COVID-19, and the role of palliative care in COVID-19. We also introduce 3 principles of palliative care that can serve as a guide for all healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients, which are (1) good symptom control, (2) open and sensitive communication, and (3) caring for the whole team. The pandemic has brought immense suffering, fear and death to people everywhere. The knowledge, skills and experiences from palliative care could be used to relieve the suffering of COVID-19 patients.