Emergency Crises at the End of Life (Palliative Sedation)

Some people have severe pain, confusion, difficulty breathing, or other problems at the end of life that cause unbearable suffering. Sometimes, the symptoms are so extreme that no available medications help relieve patient suffering. In these cases, patients may receive palliative sedation. Palliative sedation is when the patient is put to sleep (sedated) with medications called sedatives, so they no longer feel the symptoms that are causing them to suffer. The best way to provide palliative sedation, such as when and who to provide it to, is still not well known. In this project, we will conduct interviews with healthcare providers, review medical charts, and review existing research to create an online training program for healthcare providers to learn more about palliative sedation and be confident in the decisions they make with patients and their loved ones at the end of life.