Blue Review - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma

 

 

May 7, 2015

New Videos on Patient Support and Palliative Care – What Every Physician Should Know

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma (BCBSOK) 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 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 few minutes to view these brief videos:

Palliative Care: Supporting Your Patients through Serious Illness
Sam’s Story: Patient Support through Palliative Care

BCBSOK 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 better control their pain and other symptoms, which may result in improved quality of life and reduced emergency room visits, hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations.

To provide more information on palliative care to your patients (our members), download this Palliative Care Frequently Asked Questions document written for members. Members can also visit Provider Finder® to find palliative care providers in their network.

 

 


Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.