Textbook of Palliative Care Communication

by Elaine Wittenberg, Betty R. Ferrell, Joy Goldsmith, Thomas Smith, Sandra Ragan

Overview

The Textbook of Palliative Care Communication is the authoritative text on communication in palliative care, providing a compilation of international and interdisciplinary perspectives. This volume was uniquely developed by an interdisciplinary editorial team to address an array of providers including physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains, and it unites clinicians with academic researchers interested in the study of communication. By featuring practical conversation and curriculum tools stemming from research, this text integrates scholarship and inquiry into translatable content that others can use to improve their practice, teach skills to others, and engage in patient-centered communication. The volume begins by defining communication, explicating debatable issues in research, and highlighting specific approaches to studying communication in a palliative care context. Chapters focus on health literacy and cultural communication, patient and family communication, barriers and approaches to discussing palliative care with specific patient populations, pain, life support, advance care planning, and quality of life topics such as sexuality, spirituality, hope, and grief. Team communication in various care settings is outlined, and current research and education for healthcare professionals are summarized. Unique to this volume are chapters on conducting communication research, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to promote further research in palliative care.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190201708
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/20/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	456
Sales rank:	813,161
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Elaine Wittenberg is an Associate Professor of Nursing Research and Education at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California.

Betty R. Ferrell is a Professor and the Director of Nursing Rearch and Education at City of Hope National Medical Center in Durate, California.

Joy Goldsmith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee.

Thomas Smith is the Director of Palliative Medicine and Professor of Oncology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Sandra L. Ragan is a Professor Emerita in the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma.

Myra Glajchen is the Director of Medical Education at the MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care and an Assistant Professor of Family and Social Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, New York.

George Handzo is the Director of Health Services, Research, and Quality at Healthcare Chaplaincy in New York, New York.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Overview of Communication

Chapter 2: A Historical Perspective of Palliative Care Communication

Chapter 3: Transactional Communication

Chapter 4: Consumer Communication and Public Messaging about Palliative Care

Chapter 5: Communication Ethics

Chapter 6: Communication in Palliative Social Work

Chapter 7: Communication in Palliative Medicine

Chapter 8: Communication in Palliative Nursing

Chapter 9: Communication in Palliative Care Chaplaincy

Chapter 10: Communication in Clinical Psychology

Chapter 11: Cultural Humility

Chapter 12: Health Literacy and Communication in Palliative Care

Chapter 13: Patient- and family-centered written communication in the palliative care setting

Chapter 14: Health Disparities

Chapter 15: The Role of Communication and Information in Symptom Management

Chapter 16: Patient Experience of Illness

Chapter 17: Family Member Experience of Caregiving

Chapter 18: Family Caregiver Communication Goals and Messages

Chapter 19: Cultural Considerations in Palliative Care and Serious Illness

Chapter 20: Family Conversations about In-Home and Hospice Care

Chapter 21: COPD and Heart Disease

Chapter 22: Oncology Across the Trajectory

Chapter 23: Transplantation and Organ Donation

Chapter 24: Communication Challenges in Providing Advance Care Planning for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

Chapter 25: Homeless, Mentally-ill, and Drug-Addicted Patients

Chapter 26: Seriously Ill Veterans

Chapter 27: Neonatal and Pediatrics

Chapter 28: LGBT Communication

Chapter 29: Patient-Centered Communication

Chapter 30: Care Coordination and Transitions in Care

Chapter 31: Trust, Hope and Miracles

Chapter 32: Physical Pain and Symptoms

Chapter 33: Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Chapter 34: Redefining Comfort Measures: Communicating about Life Support, Artificial Hydration, and Nutrition

Chapter 35: Advance Care Planning

Chapter 36: Palliative Care Communication and Sexuality

Chapter 37: Spiritual Communication

Chapter 38: Grief Reactions

Chapter 39: Team Communication in the Acute Care Setting

Chapter 40: Team Communication in the Outpatient Care Setting

Chapter 41: Team Communication in the Hospice Setting

Chapter 42: Team Communication in the Nursing Home Setting

Chapter 43: Communication Education for Physicians

Chapter 44: Communication Education for Nurses

Chapter 45: Communication Education for Social Workers

Chapter 46: Communication Education for Chaplains

Chapter 47: Interprofessional Education

Chapter 48: Qualitative Communication Research

Chapter 49: Quantitative Communication Research

Chapter 50: The State of the Science on Palliative Care Communication

Editorial Reviews

"This is a much needed contribution to the field." -Doody's Health Sciences

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Darrell Owens, DNP, MSN, MS (University of Washington Medicine)
Description: According to the editors, this is the authoritative textbook on communication in palliative care, providing a compilation of international and interdisciplinary perspectives. An insert in the book states that purchasers are also entitled to free online access for one month. However, I found this was not the case. I was not able to access the book online using the code provided; in fact, in order to see the online version I had to spend an additional $32. It took the publisher an additional 24 hours to provide access, and even then the information in their email was incorrect, requiring me to contact customer service. Online access was anything but simple and, in any event, it adds nothing to the overall user experience.
Purpose: The editors believe that advancement in the field of communication will take place only by working collectively across disciplines and by bridging an interest in communication across professional boundaries, methodological expertise, and care settings. This book legitimates the field of palliative care communication by providing frameworks and tools grounded in communication theory, research, and education. As the need for improved person-centered communication increases in all areas of healthcare, the need for emphasis on communication research and delivery is essential, making this book a valuable addition to the field. Although the online version of the book adds little value, the accompanying companion website, The Palliative Care Communication Institute website (www.pccinstitute.com), is a wonderful resource for clinicians. The website provides easy access to communication tools and resources as well as summary PowerPoint slides for key components of the book.
Audience: The audience includes a variety of providers, such as nurse practitioners, nurses, physicians, social workers, and chaplains, as well as researchers and clinicians in the field of communication. It also is a good resource for students in any of these fields, and it meets the needs of these audiences. The editors are interdisciplinary group of international experts in the field.
Features: The book features practical conversation and curriculum tools stemming from research. The book also does a nice job of integrating scholarship and inquiry into translatable content that readers can use to improve their practice, teach skills to others, and engage in patient-centered communication. A plethora of information is presented, ranging from chapters on health literacy (one of the strongest chapters in the book) and team communication in various settings to sexuality, spirituality, and hope. The book is densely written, covering many important topics. I would not recommend reading it cover to cover, which I do not think was the intention of the editors. It is best to select specific chapters to read based on the need at the time. The book is an exceptional resource that should be available to an interdisciplinary team whose members likely have varied educational needs.
Assessment: This is a much needed contribution to the field. Although there are other communication-related books available, this is the first to integrate research and theory with practical aspects of palliative care communication. The companion website for the Palliative Care Communication Institute is by itself a wonderful resource for practicing clinicians, students, and researchers.

Doody's Review Service