The goal of palliative care is to make patients comfortable and provide the best possible quality of life by treating the symptoms caused by their serious illness. Historically, palliative care was offered by a hospice program designed for patients facing death. The new palliative care paradigm uses a multidisciplinary approach to provide palliative care to relieve and prevent the suffering of patients throughout the continuum of an illness. Unlike hospice care, palliative care can be offered to patients at any time between diagnosis and recovery. During this session, learn how palliative care offers support for both the patient and family, how to improve the quality of life for persons suffering from serious illness, and the impact on clinical outcomes and medical costs.

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

1. Identify specific hospitalization rates related to palliative care
2. Assess the impact of palliative care on clinical outcomes and medical costs
3. Describe the effects of palliative care on patient and caregiver outcomes
4. State new and old paradigms for palliative care

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 on 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. Begin 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 in your profile.

To receive credit, you must pass the Post-Activity Assessment with a score of at least 70% and complete the evaluation and application for credit. Responses will be reported in aggregate form from all participants in related educational activities. Thank you for your cooperation.

Faculty Listing
Elizabeth J. Rabkin, MD
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio

Method for Calculating CE Credit
CE credit was calculated by the complexity of content.

Faculty Disclosure
As a provider accredited by the ACCME, OptumHealth Education requires the disclosure of any relevant financial relationship a faculty member has with the manufacturer(s) of any product discussed in this educational presentation. The faculty reported the following:
Dr Rabkin has indicated that she has no relevant financial relationships.
Dr Rabkin does not intend to discuss unapproved/investigative use of commercial products/devices.

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

Arlene Rome, BSN, RN
Activity Manager
OptumHealth Education

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 and has been approved by OptumHealth Education.

Provided By
This activity is provided by OptumHealth Education.

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

Hardware/Software Requirements
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