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In healthcare institutions across the country, the role of poetry continues to emerge within the liminal spaces between the medical humanities and clinical care. While the field of narrative medicine is well-developed generally, formal review of the state of poetry as a healing modality is limited. Poetry in the medical humanities literature has often been described by its indefinability as much as by its impact on healing. The power of poetry in healthcare is thought to be multi-faceted and deserves to be explored further. Poetry can be medicine for both patient and clinician. "Poetic Medicine" is a modality that has been utilized for the healing of grief, loss, wounds of the psyche and spirit, and as a process for expanding resiliency in healthcare-applications that are particularly relevant to the practice of hospice and palliative medicine-for patient and clinician alike. While numerous approaches share common themes, current programs bringing poetry into healthcare have been operating largely in isolation from each other-with a lack of national consensus on definitions or structures of interventions. Such isolation is a major restriction to the study and growth of Poetic Medicine. While it is not known with certitude, the number of Poetic Medicine programs in healthcare in the United States appears to be growing. In this paper, we propose an initial framework to define the role and impact of poetry in healthcare and then describe two different, well-established Poetic Medicine programs in the United States., (Copyright © 2022 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Journals like the JPSM are part of the system of gatekeepers to the academic literature that defines and represents our field. This paper explores how the JPSM leadership, staff and editorial board can design, implement, and foster active antiracist ideas and practice at the individual and system level, focused on an examination of who is represented across the organization, reflective practice on individual attitudes and beliefs, and policy analysis and changes. We explore the current and historical context in the United States that makes this approach foundational to the work of addressing and dismantling systemic racism. We define key terms and a theoretical framework while proposing concrete steps the journal can take in this effort. Together, these actions can actively challenge the ways in which white supremacy shapes the status quo, marginalizing Black Indigenous People of Color, and dehumanizing all. While this paper focuses on discrete actions the JPSM can undertake, it also serves as an invitation to the field at large to commit to the daily practice of antiracism. We do not promote ourselves as experts, only as individuals interested in and committed to antiracism and invite our colleagues to correct, edit, and build upon our suggestions. We hope our proposed approach helps our field to address all forms of oppression, including those due to gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and profession., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the recognition of systemic racism in our institutions, the symptom management, emotional/psychological support and advance care planning at the core of palliative care-once considered "an extra layer of support" -have been revealed as instrumental to individuals, families, communities, and countries facing the threat of the global pandemic. In this article, we outline the primary palliative care education efforts of one palliative care education center (The MERI Center at UCSF/Mt Zion campus) and detail the critical adjustments necessary and opportunities found in the COVID crisis.

Background: Outpatient palliative care (PC) has been shown to positively impact quality of life and decrease healthcare utilization, but there are limited data describing what activities render these benefits., Objective: Describe the topics addressed by an outpatient PC team during scheduled visits., Design: Longitudinal cohort study., Setting: The Symptom Management Service, an ambulatory PC program at an academic comprehensive cancer center., Measurement: Between March 23, 2015 and June 14, 2016, outpatient PC providers completed a checklist after each clinic visit, documenting topics covered during the visit., Results: During the study period, 1243 visits were conducted for 577 unique patients. Symptom management was the topic most commonly addressed during initial visits (in 92% of visits), followed by an introduction of PC (69%), support for family caregivers (47%), and communication with other clinicians (38%). Providers also supported patients to understand their prognosis (28%), treatment options (36%), and to make care decisions (22%). Formal advance care planning activities occurred infrequently, however, including designation of a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (26%), completion of an advance directive or Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment form (10%), and discussing hospice (8%). Follow-up visits were dominated by symptom management (93%) and caregiver support (27%)., Conclusions: Symptom management, support for family and caregivers, and care coordination are the most common activities that occurred during scheduled outpatient PC visits. These findings can guide developing PC practices, as well as clinicians who provide primary PC.