Substance use disorders in hospice palliative care: A narrative review of challenges and a case for physician intervention

Substance use disorders in hospice palliative care: A narrative review of challenges and a case for physician intervention
Cambridge University Press; by Lauren Rudy and Emilie Lacroix; 2/29/24
Objectives: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are frequently encountered in hospice palliative care (HPC) and pose substantial quality-of-life issues for patients. However, most HPC physicians do not directly treat their patients’ SUDs due to several institutional and personal barriers. ...
Results: ... Recommendations for physicians and training environments to address these challenges include developing familiarity with standardized SUD assessment tools and pain management practice guidelines, creating and disseminating visual campaigns to combat stigma, including SUD assessment and intervention as fellowship competencies, and obtaining additional training in psychosocial interventions.