Target audience: Physicians, PAs, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
Credit designations available: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AAPA Category 1 CME Credit, Nursing Contact Hour(s)
Palliative care is the active holistic care of individuals across all ages with serious health-related suffering due to severe illness and especially of those near the end of life. It aims to improve the quality of life of patients, their families and their caregivers. This clinical roundtable, led by Jenna Butner, MD, MPH, FASAM, AAHIVS, will look at the overlap between substance disorder and palliative care and how those philosophies can be integrated into SUD treatment.
At the conclusion of this activity participants should be able to:
- Describe the overlap between palliative care and substance use disorder populations, including shared prevalence trends, stigma, symptom burden, and pharmacologic considerations (e.g., opioids, benzodiazepines).
- Identify barriers and workforce gaps that affect the quality of end-of-life care for patients with SUD and recognize how clinician discomfort can lead to avoidant or overly restrictive care.
- Apply risk stratification and severity assessment tools to guide multidisciplinary treatment planning.
- Integrate palliative care philosophies into SUD treatment — centering patient autonomy and dignity — across the full disease trajectory, from screening and diagnosis through remission, relapse, and bereavement.
Continuing Education Information
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by PCSS-MOUD and American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physician
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry is an approved provider of nursing continuing education through AAAP’s Joint Accreditation provider #4008192. This activity is approved for up to 1.0 CNE credits.
PAs
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 1.0 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Funding for this initiative was made possible by grant no. 1H79TI088037 and cooperative agreement no. 1H79TI086770 from Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The views expressed in these materials do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government.