New videos on patient support and palliative care: What every physician should know Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) is expanding its efforts to encourage early member referrals to palliative care by releasing two new videos on the topic. The videos feature Martha L. Twaddle, MD, FAAHPM, who has helped to facilitate the growth and development of palliative and hospice care on the national level. Dr. Twaddle is currently an associate professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. A former president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), she also served on the steering committee for the National Consensus Project for Palliative Care. Please take a moment to watch these brief videos.
BCBSTX encourages the early referral of patients to palliative care, which unlike hospice care, can be provided along with curative therapy. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for members and their families – whatever their diagnosis. Palliative care helps members with serious illnesses to better control pain and other symptoms, which may help improve quality of life and reduce emergency room visits, hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations. To provide more information on palliative care to your patients (our members), use this resource to download a Palliative Care Frequently Asked Questions document written for members. Members may use the Provider Finder® on Blue Access for MembersSM to find palliative care providers in their network. |
