[Suggestion for neurologists to attend a palliative care seminar for doctors engaged in cancer treatment].
After the Cancer Control Act (Basic Act) was enforced in April of 2007, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and local governments nominated leading hospitals (1 chief center in every prefecture, and 1 core hospital in every secondary medical area) for comprehensive promotion of research, prevention and treatment of cancers. These hospitals are supposed to organize palliative care seminars at least once every year to conduct basic training on palliative care for all doctors engaged in cancer treatment, in order to implement palliative care from the early stage. The seminar contains lectures and role-plays regarding relief of pain and improving quality of life during recuperation for all cancer patients and their families. The author suggests that neurologists attend such seminars and introduce similar skills and knowledge to patients with neurological diseases, particularly intractable diseases, after the author had occasion to join such a seminar as an assistant facilitator. The training sessions for communication with patients and families, giving bad news, using opioids, and organizing support teams among local resources also seem useful for neurological fields, until similar teaching schemes are established by appropriate organizations, such as the Japanese Society of Neurology.
Narita
Yugo
Y
Medical Care Networking Centre of Mie University Hospital.
D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007564:Japan; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education; D009462:Neurology / Q000193:education*; D010166:Palliative Care