title: Neurologists as primary palliative care providers: Communication and practice approaches.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present current knowledge and recommendations regarding communication tasks and practice approaches for neurologists as they practice primary palliative care, including discussing serious news, managing symptoms, aligning treatment with patient preferences, introducing hospice/terminal care, and using the multiprofessional approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neurologists receive little formal palliative care training yet often need to discuss prognosis in serious illness, manage intractable symptoms in chronic progressive disease, and alleviate suffering for patients and their families. Because patients with neurologic disorders often have major cognitive impairment, physical impairment, or both, with an uncertain prognosis, their palliative care needs are particularly challenging and they remain largely uncharacterized and often unmanaged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provide an overview of neuropalliative care as a fundamental skill set for all neurologists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (CJC), Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle; Department of Neurology (MTR), University of California, Los Angeles; and Department of Neurology (RGH), University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.
authors.forename: Claire J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Creutzfeldt
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (CJC), Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle; Department of Neurology (MTR), University of California, Los Angeles; and Department of Neurology (RGH), University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.
authors.forename: Maisha T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology (CJC), Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle; Department of Neurology (MTR), University of California, Los Angeles; and Department of Neurology (RGH), University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Holloway