Our ability to care for patients who have one or more chronic illnesses has improved remarkably over the last century; however, significant challenges remain when it comes to meeting the needs of patients who are faced with the physical and psychological progression of one or more complex medical conditions that could potentially lead to death. There is a compelling need for a system-change approach for healthcare providers (HCPs) to employ skills not traditionally taught in the academic environment to meet the needs of this patient population. The goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life through a comprehensive team approach to expert medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support tailored to patients with serious illness. Hospice is a specific type of palliative care for those who likely have 6 months or less to live. This activity will review the challenges HCPs are confronted with when caring for seriously ill and dying patients and will explore how to integrate and coordinate palliative and hospice care in the healthcare delivery system.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to

1. Summarize the challenges HCPs are confronted with when treating patients suffering from complex medical conditions
2. Demonstrate strategies and frameworks that integrate palliative and hospice care when caring for seriously ill and dying patients
3. Describe the impact on the patient, family members, and caregivers when patients with complex conditions are integrated into palliative or hospice care services

Faculty Listing
R. Sean Morrison, MD
Co-Director, Patty and Jay Baker National Palliative Care Center
Director, National Palliative Care Research Center
Director, Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute
Hermann Merkin Professor of Palliative Care
Professor of Geriatrics and Medicine
Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, New York

Disclosures of Relevant Financial Relationships
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support^SM, OptumHealth Education requires all those involved in the development of activity content to disclose their relevant financial relationships. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if such person (or their spouse/partner) has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the activity content over which the individual has control.
OptumHealth Education ensures that the content is independent of commercial bias.

Faculty Disclosure
R. Sean Morrison, MD has indicated that he has no relevant financial relationships.

Activity Planners
Sarah Chart-Hart, RN
Senior Director
OptumHealth Education

Arlene Rome, RN, BSN
Activity Manager
OptumHealth Education

Activity Planner Disclosures
All of the planners reported that they are employees of and own stock in UnitedHealth Group.

Reviewer Disclosures
To ensure fair balance and avoid bias, the content for this activity has been reviewed by an independent medical expert with no relevant financial relationships.

Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this activity.
For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board.

Participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion of the activity, which includes the following:

• Completing the entire activity
• Completing the Pre- and Post-Activity Assessments, Activity Evaluation, and Application for Certificate of Credit forms

You must be logged into your account to participate in this activity. Get started by clicking “Begin” and viewing the “CE Info”; then follow the prompts at the bottom of the screen. At the end of the activity, you will be able to view, save, or print your certificate of participation. The Area of Practice you indicated in your profile corresponds with your certificate type. A complete listing of all of your activities can be found under “My Account”, “My Activities.”

Accreditation Statement
OptumHealth Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation Statements
Physicians
OptumHealth Education designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistants
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Nurses
The participant will be awarded up to 1.00 contact hour(s) of credit for attendance and completion of supplemental materials.

Nurse Practitioners
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.

Case Managers
The Commission for Case Manager Certification has approved this program for a maximum of 1.00 clock hour(s) for Certified Case Managers (CCM).

AAPC-Certified Coders
AAPC will honor 1-for-1 CEUs for any live event offering CME credit or AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. A certificate of attendance or completion is necessary to show participation. The certificate will give the total CMEs possible for the offering. Physicians are advised to claim only the actual hours that they were present during the education. We ask that AAPC-certified members abide by this request also. One hour of instruction is worth one CEU.

Social Workers
R. Cassidy Seminars, ACE provider #1082, is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) Program. Approval Period: April 15, 2012–April 15, 2015. R. Cassidy Seminars maintains responsibility for the program. Social workers should contact their regulatory board to determine course approval. Social workers will receive a maximum of 1.0 continuing education (clinical) clock hours for participating in this course.
OH: Provider approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board for 1.0 clock hours, #RCST110701.

Please note: licensing boards change regulations often, and although we attempt to stay abreast of their most recent changes, if you have questions or concerns about this course meeting your specific board’s approval, we recommend you contact your board directly to obtain a ruling.

Satisfactory Completion
Participants must have paid tuition fee, if applicable, signed in, attended the entire seminar, completed an evaluation, and signed out in order to receive a certificate. Failure to sign in or out will result in forfeiture of credit for the entire course. No exceptions will be made. Partial credit is not available.

This event is co-sponsored by R. Cassidy Seminars.

Attendance
A certificate of attendance will be provided to learners upon completion of activity requirements, enabling participants to register with licensing boards or associations that have not been pre-approved for credits. To apply for credit types not listed above, participants should use the procedure established by the specific organization to which you wish you apply credit.

Sponsored By
This activity is sponsored by OptumHealth Education.

Commercial Support
This activity is supported by Optum™ Palliative and Hospice Care, formerly Evercare™ Hospice & Palliative Care.

Hardware/Software Requirements
To view this activity you will need Internet Explorer 7.0+ or Firefox 3.0+ with Windows Media Player 9+, RealPlayer 12+, or Adobe Flash Player 9+. Be sure to disable your pop-up blocking software prior to the beginning of this activity.