When to Call Palliative Care: Early Integration in Metastatic NSCLC

Credits

• 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™

Learning objectives

Upon completion, participants should be able to:

1. Apply evidence on patient outcomes and guideline recommendations to determine appropriate timing for early, concurrent palliative care referral in advanced cancer.
2. Apply evidence-based symptom management for advanced cancer by preventing opioid-induced constipation, managing refractory dyspnea, and selecting mechanism-based adjuvant analgesia, including when specialist palliative care involvement is warranted.
3. Differentiate palliative care from hospice and end-of-life care, correct common misconceptions, and determine when concurrent specialist palliative care involvement is appropriate during active cancer treatment.
4. Apply a structured, patient-centered approach to serious-news and prognostic conversations, including ongoing advance care planning and responses tailored to patients’ understanding, information preferences, goals, and values.
5. Plan patient-centered transitions to hospice by determining when referral aligns with patient goals and clinical context, distinguishing hospice from palliative care, and selecting appropriate bereavement support and referral resources.

Faculty

• Abigail Aliwalas, BS