Engaging Public Health in End-of-Life Issues: It Is Time to Step Up to the Plate

Ideas and Opinions3 February 2015Engaging Public Health in End-of-Life Issues: It Is Time to Step Up to the PlateJaya K. Rao, MD, MHS, Deputy EditorJaya K. Rao, MD, MHS, Deputy EditorFrom the American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M14-2479 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In September 2014, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its fifth full report on end-of-life issues, "Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life" (1). Acknowledging the substantial progress made since its first report on these issues was published in 1997 (2), this report identifies recommendations within 5 domains. It is particularly encouraging to see the following recommendation for public education and engagement in the report: "Civic leaders, public health and other governmental agencies ... should engage their constituents and provide fact based information about care of people with advanced serious illness to encourage ...References1. Committee on Approaching Death; Institute of Medicine. Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2014. Google Scholar2. Committee on Care at the End of Life; Institute of Medicine. Approaching Death: Improving Care at the End of Life. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 1997. Google Scholar3. Rao JK, Anderson LA, Smith SM. End of life is a public health issue. Am J Prev Med. 2002;23:215-20. PMID: 12350455 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Rao JK, Alongi J, Anderson LA, Jenkins L, Stokes GA, Kane M. Development of public health priorities for end-of-life initiatives. Am J Prev Med. 2005;29:453-60. PMID: 16376710 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Rao JK, Abraham LA, Anderson LA. Novel approach, using end-of-life issues, for identifying items for public health surveillance. Prev Chronic Dis. 2009;6:A57. PMID: 19289000 MedlineGoogle Scholar6. Rao JK, Anderson LA, Lin FC, Laux JP. Completion of advance directives among U.S. consumers. Am J Prev Med. 2014;46:65-70. PMID: 24355673 doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2013.09.008 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Seaman JB, Bear TM, Documet PI, Sereika SM, Albert SM. Hospice and family involvement with end-of-life care: results from a population-based survey. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2014. PMID: 25216736 MedlineGoogle Scholar8. Morhaim DK, Pollack KM. End-of-life care issues: a personal, economic, public policy, and public health crisis. Am J Public Health. 2013;103:e8-e10. PMID: 23597338 doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301316 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. D'Onofrio C, Ryndes T. The relevance of public health in improving access to end of life care. Hastings Cent Rep. 2003;Suppl:S30-2. PMID: 12762190 MedlineGoogle Scholar10. American Public Health Association. Supporting public health's role in addressing unmet needs in serious illness and at the end of life. American Public Health Association policy no. 20134. 5 November 2013. Accessed at http://apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2014/07/09/13/42/supporting-public-healths-role-in-addressing-unmet-needs-in-serious-illness-and-at-the-end-of-life on 20 October 2014. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Jaya K. Rao, MD, MHS, Deputy EditorAffiliations: From the American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Disclaimer: Dr. Rao worked at the CDC from 2000 to 2008, and the CDC funded the work that she describes here. She is currently Deputy Editor, Annals of Internal Medicine. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the American College of Physicians.Acknowledgment: The author thanks Dr. Lynda Anderson from the CDC for her constructive comments on an earlier version of this commentary.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M14-2479.Corresponding Author: Jaya K. Rao, MD, MHS, American College of Physicians, 190 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106; e-mail, email protectedorg.Author Contributions:Conception and design: J.K. Rao.Drafting of the article: J.K. Rao.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: J.K. Rao.Final approval of the article: J.K. Rao.This article was published online first at www.annals.org on 9 December 2014. 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Johnson Metrics Cited byData Sharing Under the General Data Protection RegulationLegal Aspects of Oncology Care for Dying PatientsÉvolution des droits de patients en fin de vieCelebrating the ACP Centennial: From the Annals ArchiveDeborah Cotton, MD, MPH, Deputy EditorLegal Aspects of Oncology Care for Dying Patients 3 February 2015Volume 162, Issue 3Page: 230-231KeywordsAgingDisclosureEnd of life careHealth careHealth information technologyHealth surveysPalliative carePrevention, policy, and public healthPrimary carePublic policy ePublished: 3 February 2015 Issue Published: 3 February 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...