Palliative Medicine

The Palliative Medicine interest group is dedicated to developing and disseminating educational resources and clinical tools that enhance the primary palliative care skills of medical students, emergency medicine (EM) residents, and attending physicians. Our mission is to advance the EM specialty by equipping emergency department (ED) teams with the necessary skills, tools, and scientific knowledge to effectively address the needs of patients and families facing serious illnesses or requiring end-of-life care in the ED.

Group Objectives

• Establish a subgroup to lead EM palliative educational initiatives.
• Organize regular quarterly meetings to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and discuss progress on ongoing initiatives.
• Advance and support the research agenda in EM palliative care.
• Develop an EM palliative speaker and mentor database.
• Continue our path to becoming a tier two interest group.

Speakers Bureau

The Palliative Medicine interest group manages the Palliative Medicine Speakers Bureau, a resource that provides a list of experts who are available to speak on topics such as communication skills in palliative medicine, symptom management, quality improvement, and systems/pathways of care.

SAEM Palliative Medicine Webinar & Toolkit Series

The SAEM Palliative Medicine interest group has crafted the SAEM Palliative Medicine Webinar & Toolkit Series to enhance primary palliative care skills among emergency medicine students, residents, and attending physicians. The webinars should cover various topics such as palliative needs, goals of care discussions, and geriatric opportunities, with each session including a short lecture and a Q&A. Learn more about the planned topics and faculty, and discover how this resource can benefit your practice in emergency medicine.

SAEM-RAMS Palliative Career Roadmaps

Check out the Palliative Care Roadmap, your definitive step-by-step guide on how to succeed in Palliative Care at every training level.

Resources

• Brooten JK, Speiser JL, Gabbard JL, et al. Emergency Department Early Mortality Model for Patients Admitted After Presenting to a Tertiary Medical Center Emergency Department. Acad Emerg Med. 2025 Jan 16.
• Lin DE, Gunaga S, Mowbray FI, et al. Emergency Department-Initiated Palliative Care Screening Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol. BMJ Open. 2025.

Support Our Members at SAEM26

Pediatric EM interest group members are hosting several events at this year's annual meeting in Atlanta. Check out these events and add them to your calendar!

Tuesday, May 19

• Palliative Medicine Interest Group Meeting (2:00 PM - 2:50 PM)
• Palliating the Mortality Index: How Goal-Concordant Emergency Department Care Benefits Patients and Hospitals (Sponsored by Palliative Medicine Interest Group) (5:00 PM - 5:20 PM)

Wednesday, May 20

• Rethinking Resuscitation: Digital Innovations for Goals-of-Care Discussions in the Emergency Department (8:00 AM - 8:20 AM)

Thursday, May 21

• Conversations That Matter: A Practical Palliative Care Curriculum for Emergency Medicine (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM)