She's absolutely correct about everyone being on a different page. Hopefully, with some time that improves. Thankfully, the most important team members are very good.
A challenge for me is managing outpatient pain, discomfort, and anxiety in a patient with end stage liver disease, continues to use alcohol. Do you consult on patients who don’t have cancer/actively receiving treatment?
Thanks for the question! Many organizations have outpatient Palliative Care clinics. Some are more narrow like oncology-specific Palliative clinics; while others may have a general Paliiative clinic seeing patients with any disease, at ANY stage of that illness. Remember that Palliative Care is not hospice, so most of our patients are still receiving active treatment (sometimes even with a curative intent). Depending upon where you live, will determine what outpatient palliative resources are out there.
And you are right… liver disease makes pain management extra complex. The liver makes much of our serum protein altering drug levels (because many drugs bind to those proteins), it metabolizes most of our meds further complicating responses to treatment, substance use further complicates safety, etc. Thank goodness there is a specialty like Palliative Care, that focuses on the complexities of symptom management.
@@fridaychalktalk-palliativecare thank you for responding! Unfortunately, we don’t have a palliative care service to consult outside of oncology related symptom management. You have an invaluable specialty that is much appreciated!
