Psychological issues in palliative care: Elissa Kozlov and Des Azizoddin

Psychological issues in palliative care: Elissa Kozlov and Des Azizoddin
GeriPal podcast, by Alex Smith; 2/22/24
Today we talk with two psychologists who are deeply invested in addressing psychological aspects of care for people living with serious illness. Elissa Kozlov, a geropsychologist and director of a new population aging MPH at Rutgers, surveyed AAHPM members, and found that doctors reported major shortcomings in level of comfort and knowledge caring for patients with psychological illness. She conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 38 palliative care trials, finding that many excluded people with serious illness, and a lack of impact on psychological outcomes.  Analyzing the Health and Retirement Study, she found 60% of older adults screened positive for depression in the last year of life.