Most medical students in the U.S. receive little or no formal training in guiding patients and their families through end-of-life care, WSU Insider reported Jan. 14.
A study from Pullman-based Washington State University, published Dec. 3 in Academic Medicine, analyzed 43 articles in PubMed and Embase databases on death and dying education at medical schools between 2013 and 2025. Researchers found minimal evidence-based education on working with patients and families on end-of-life care.
Training on death can reduce fear for patients and families, as well as the provider, the study authors said. It can also reduce unnecessary medical bills and unwanted treatment, Raven Weaver, PhD, corresponding author, told WSU Insider.
“Research shows that healthcare is most expensive in the last year of life, and a lot of that is unwanted treatment,” Dr. Weaver said. “Physicians, understandably, want to save lives. But they often don’t consider quality of life.”
Medical schools are aware of the missing curriculum, she said, but struggle to incorporate it.
Over the last few years, health system leaders have partnered with medical schools to update curriculum to proactively address gaps in physician knowledge, including nutrition, obesity and chronic disease care.
The post Another blind spot in medical education appeared first on Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
Source: Read Original Article
