Discussing Serious News
What You’ll Learn
Learn best practices for having patient-centered conversations about a serious illness diagnosis. These discussions are the foundation of building a trusting clinician-patient relationship.
Learning outcomes for this course include:
- Identify three steps to prepare a patient to hear serious news.
- Discuss the use of a headline sentence to deliver the news.
- Describe two methods to approach patient and caregiver emotions.
What You’ll Earn
Only CAPC members who are logged in can earn the following free Continuing Education Credits:
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
- Case Management: 1.00 CE
- Nursing: 0.75 CNE
- Social Work: 1.00 CE (NASW)
- Social Work: 1.00 CE (NYSED)
To take this course, log in. Or, check here to see if your organization is a member.
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Tools & Resources
A stepwise approach for all members of the health care team to guide conversations with patients about serious news.
One-page guides with actionable tips for conversations with patients with serious illness. Free to download, print and share with others.
This resource provides practical samples of empathic responses to use in conversations with patients and families, as well as template responses to challenging questions. Developed by VitalTalk.
List of course citations.
Accreditations and Disclosures
Physicians
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
CME Released: 3/04/2024; Valid for credit through 2/15/2026
Estimated Time of Completion for CME: 60 minutes
ABIM MOC Recognition Statement
Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn 1.0 MOC credit in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC credits equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for this activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.
Physician Assistants
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai designates this enduring material with 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ as specified, which can be applied to the continuing education of Physician Assistants. Physician Assistants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses (Registered Nurses, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Licensed Nurses)
This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by Connecticut Nurses' Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
CNE Released: 3/03/2024; Valid for credit through 3/03/2026
Estimated Time of Completion / CNE Contact Hours: 45 minutes / Contact Hours 0.75
Social Workers
This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886437049-6216) for 1.0 continuing education contact hours effective 2/06/2024 - 2/28/2025.
Center to Advance Palliative Care SW CPE #0257 is recognized by the New York State Education Department's Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers effective 3/03/2024 - 7/31/2027. This program has been approved for 1.0 continuing education contact hours.
Certified Case Managers
This program is approved by The Commission for Case Manager Certification (Approval # 240000426) to provide 1.0 continuing education credits to CCM® board certified case managers effective 3/03/2024 - 3/03/2025.
Verification of Attendance (VOA)
All users that are not eligible for continuing education will receive a Verification of Attendance certificate upon completion of the course.
Faculty Disclosure Policy
It is the policy of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) to ensure objectivity, balance, independence, transparency, and scientific rigor in all CME-accredited educational activities. All faculty participating in the planning or implementation of an activity accredited by ISMMS are expected to disclose all of their financial relationships with ineligible companies existing within the prior 24 months. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and disclosed to learners before the activity takes place. Presenters must also make a meaningful disclosure to the audience of their discussion of unlabeled or unapproved drugs or devices. This information will be available as part of the course material.
Course Media Instructions
Software Requirements: CAPC’s online curriculum, tools, and technical assistance are designed to be fully compatible through multiple platforms: computer, smartphone (iOS or Android), or tablet running the following web browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.
Content: Each course is comprised of interactive learning components (articles, tools, or supporting materials), video, and audio. The learner will be expected to complete various interactive processes such as matching, simulated clinical decision-making, fill in the blanks, and highlighting content.
To successfully earn credit, participants must be logged in to their CAPC member account, complete the activity online, receive a minimum score of 80% on the post-test, and complete the course evaluation. A printable certificate of completion or a continuing award document specific to the discipline will be awarded.
Target Audience: Each program is developed for chaplains/spiritual counselors, nurses, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, case managers, palliative care program leaders, and healthcare leaders (hospital, health system, and community care).
Activity Description/Statement of Needs: CAPC’s online curriculum provides training in two critical areas. Technical assistance courses are designed to help palliative care program leaders address key challenges such as implementing palliative care in community health care settings. Clinical coursework provides fundamental training in pain and symptom management, communication, and other key skills needed to work with patients with serious illness.
Disclaimers: The opinions expressed in the courses are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the sponsor, the educational partner, or the supporter. Please review complete prescribing information of specific drugs or combinations of drugs, including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.
Activities do not contain information on commercial products/devices that are unlabeled for use or investigational uses of products not yet approved.
Copyright Information: All rights reserved by the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). No materials may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.
Course Faculty
Kacey Boyle, RN, MSPC, CHPN. Palliative Care Specialist, The University of Vermont Medical Center
Constance Dahlin, MSN, ANP-BC, ACHPN, FPCN, FAAN. Consultant, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Andrew E. Esch, MD, MBA. Senior Education Advisor, Center to Advance Palliative Care
Jonathan Fischer, MD. Palliative Medicine Specialist, Associate Consulting Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke Health
Peer Reviewers
Sherika Newman, DO. Associate Medical Director, CenterWell Primary Care Anywhere-Georgia*
Caroline Cruickshank, BSN, RN. George Washington University Hospital
Sophie Rotax, BSN, RN. George Washington University Hospital
Elizabeth Jurczak, LMSW. University of Connecticut School of Social Work
*indicates ABIM Peer Reviewer
Course Artists
Kriota Willberg, MFA-IA, LMT, CAPC Artist-in-Residence
Contact information: For answers to frequently asked questions about CAPC courses, read the Online Course FAQ. For technical questions about course activity, email [email protected]. For questions about continuing education credits, contact 201-957-0077.
Provided by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Course 2 of 5
Learn how to effectively discuss prognosis with patients and their caregivers.
Course 3 of 5
Learn best practices for building trust, eliciting patient values, and having patient-centered conversations about goals of care.
Course 4 of 5
Learn to effectively lead meetings that help patients and caregivers become aligned around the patient’s goals.