Examining the relationship between rural and urban clinicians’ familiarity with patients and families and their comfort with palliative and end-of-life care communication

Examining the relationship between rural and urban clinicians’ familiarity with patients and families and their comfort with palliative and end-of-life care communication 
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; by Brandi Pravecek, DNP, CNP, FNP-BC, Howard Wey, PhD, and Mary J. Isaacson, PhD, RN, RHNC, CHPN®, FPCN; 7/23/24 
Effective healthcare clinician communication is a key component of quality palliative and end-of-life (PEOL) care. However, communication may be hampered when clinicians are not comfortable initiating these conversations with patients and their families. Clinicians working in rural areas report several barriers to providing palliative care. This study examined the relationship between rural and urban clinicians’ reported familiarity with their patients and families end-of-life, their reported comfort in initiating PEOL conversations, and their PEOL care knowledge.
Editor's Note: For rural executive leaders, do you ensure opportunities to train and support your community's local clinicians about hospice and palliative care communication? Familiarity is important. And, it must be paired with masterful communication skills about dying, death and grief. Read today's post, "Death is inevitable. It's time we learned to talk about it."