6. Resources and Survey

Resources

We have provided many resources below for your interest. Practice Matters (three short videos) and the video entitled “Dying for Care” offer practical information and we suggest them as top priorities.

Videos

Dying for Care—Quality Palliative & End of Life Care in Canada

Practice Matters

Dori Seccareccia MD, CCFP-Em, MClSc is a palliative care doctor at Sunnybrook Hospital. In this four-minute video, Dori speaks about her very rewarding work with patients and families, and in particular, the art of communicating.

(To read along click here.)

Kim Bowman RN BScN Med is the senior educator at Trillium Gift of Life Network, the organ and tissue donation agency for the province of Ontario. In this three-minute segment, Kim clearly explains the organ and tissue donation procedures and processes.

(To read along click here.)

Kerry Bowman PhD has a fellowship in Cultural Psychiatry, and a masters degree in Social Work. He is an Assistant Professor appointed to both the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics and the University of Toronto Centre for Environment. He is also the Clinical Ethicist for Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. In this five-minute piece, Kerry discusses the need for respectful conversations and the intersection between the law and end of life medical decision making.

(To read along click here. The paragraph in italics refers to the time just before assisted suicide became legal in Canada.)

Books

1. Heaven C, Maguire P. Communication issues. In: Lloyd-Williams M, ed. Psychosocial Issues in Palliative Care.2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008:21-48
2. Lugton J. Communicating with Dying People and their Relatives. Oxford: Radcliffe Medical Press, 2002
3. Buckman R. Communication in palliative care: a practical guide. In: Dickenson D, et al, eds. Death, Dying and Bereavement. 2nd ed. London: Sage, 2000:146-173
4. Silverman P. Never Too Young to Know: Death in Children’s Lives. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000
5. Kaye P. Breaking Bad News. Northampton: EPL publications, 1996

Journal Articles

1. Lautrette A, Darmon M, Megarbane B, Joly LM, Chevret S, Adrie C, et al. A communication strategy and brochure for relatives of patients dying in the ICU. N Engl J Med 2007;356:469-78.
2. Singer PA, Barker G, Bowman KW, Harrison C, Kernerman P, Kopelow J, et al. Hospital policy on appropriate use of life-sustaining treatment. University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics/Critical Care Medicine Program Task Force. Crit Care Med 2001;29:187-91.
3. Bowman KW. Communication, negotiation, and mediation: dealing with conflict in end-of-life decisions. J Palliat Care 2000;16 Suppl.:S17-23.

Websites

1. This article explores the right-to-die issue brought up in the first video clip in the course. The right-to-die case explores legal, ethical and moral issues.

These two links to the Trillium Gift of Life Network website provide concise information about tissue and organ donation in Ontario:

2. Trillium Gift of Life Network – Ontario’s Organ and Tissue Donation Agency: Focus on Transplantation. 

3. Trillium Gift of Life Network – Ontario’s Organ and Tissue Donation Agency: Cultural and Religious Perspectives. (You will have to scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

Objectives Review

In the design of this course we hoped to achieve the following objectives:

• Describe elements of palliative care in the Canadian context
• Understand the impact of communication on the patient’s experience
• Identify verbal and non-verbal communication skills contributing to effective patient-centred interactions with palliative patients

You’ve completed the course!

We hope that you found it helpful and thought-provoking.

The Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto is conducting an exit survey for this course to better understand how participants are benefitting from the Practice Readiness E-learning Program (PReP). Your participation in the survey is important and will help us identify areas where the PReP program is helping people the most and any areas that can be improved.

All of the information collected from the survey participants will be summarized and no names will be reported on, so please let us know how you really feel. Participation in the survey is completely voluntary, but we hope that you see the benefit of participating.

We need and value your feedback.