Training healthcare providers to respond to intimate partner violence against women.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) includes any violence (physical, sexual or psychological/emotional) by a current or former partner. This review reflects the current understanding of IPV as a profoundly gendered issue, perpetrated most often by men against women. IPV may result in substantial physical and mental health impacts for survivors. Women affected by IPV are more likely to have contact with healthcare providers (HCPs) (e.g. nurses, doctors, midwives), even though women often do not disclose the violence. Training HCPs on IPV, including how to respond to survivors of IPV, is an important intervention to improve HCPs' knowledge, attitudes and practice, and subsequently the care and health outcomes for IPV survivors. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of training programmes that seek to improve HCPs' identification of and response to IPV against women, compared to no intervention, wait-list, placebo or training as usual. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and seven other databases up to June 2020. We also searched two clinical trials registries and relevant websites. In addition, we contacted primary authors of included studies to ask if they knew of any relevant studies not identified in the search. We evaluated the reference lists of all included studies and systematic reviews for inclusion. We applied no restrictions by search dates or language. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing IPV training or educational programmes for HCPs compared with no training, wait-list, training as usual, placebo, or a sub-component of the intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures outlined by Cochrane. Two review authors independently assessed studies for eligibility, undertook data extraction and assessed risks of bias. Where possible, we synthesised the effects of IPV training in a meta-analysis. Other analyses were synthesised in a narrative manner. We assessed evidence certainty using the GRADE approach. MAIN RESULTS: We included 19 trials involving 1662 participants. Three-quarters of all studies were conducted in the USA, with single studies from Australia, Iran, Mexico, Turkey and the Netherlands. Twelve trials compared IPV training versus no training, and seven trials compared the effects of IPV training to training as usual or a sub-component of the intervention in the comparison group, or both. Study participants included 618 medical staff/students, 460 nurses/students, 348 dentists/students, 161 counsellors or psychologists/students, 70 midwives and 5 social workers. Studies were heterogeneous and varied across training content delivered, pedagogy and time to follow-up (immediately post training to 24 months). The risk of bias assessment highlighted unclear reporting across many areas of bias. The GRADE assessment of the studies found that the certainty of the evidence for the primary outcomes was low to very low, with studies often reporting on perceived or self-reported outcomes rather than actual HCPs' practices or outcomes for women. Eleven of the 19 included studies received some form of research grant funding to complete the research. Within 12 months post-intervention, the evidence suggests that compared to no intervention, wait-list or placebo, IPV training: · may improve HCPs' attitudes towards IPV survivors (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.71, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.03; 8 studies, 641 participants; low-certainty evidence); · may have a large effect on HCPs' self-perceived readiness to respond to IPV survivors, although the evidence was uncertain (SMD 2.44, 95% CI 1.51 to 3.37; 6 studies, 487 participants; very low-certainty evidence); · may have a large effect on HCPs' knowledge of IPV, although the evidence was uncertain (SMD 6.56, 95% CI 2.49 to 10.63; 3 studies, 239 participants; very low-certainty evidence); · may make little to no difference to HCPs' referral practices of women to support agencies, although this is based on only one study (with 49 clinics) assessed to be very low certainty; · has an uncertain effect on HCPs' response behaviours (based on two studies of very low certainty), with one trial (with 27 participants) reporting that trained HCPs were more likely to successfully provide advice on safety planning during their interactions with standardised patients, and the other study (with 49 clinics) reporting no clear impact on safety planning practices; · may improve identification of IPV at six months post-training (RR 4.54, 95% CI 2.5 to 8.09) as in one study (with 54 participants), although three studies (with 48 participants) reported little to no effects of training on identification or documentation of IPV, or both. No studies assessed the impact of training HCPs on the mental health of women survivors of IPV compared to no intervention, wait-list or placebo. When IPV training was compared to training as usual or a sub-component of the intervention, or both, no clear effects were seen on HCPs' attitudes/beliefs, safety planning, and referral to services or mental health outcomes for women. Inconsistent results were seen for HCPs' readiness to respond (improvements in two out of three studies) and HCPs' IPV knowledge (improved in two out of four studies). One study found that IPV training improved HCPs' validation responses. No adverse IPV-related events were reported in any of the studies identified in this review. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Overall, IPV training for HCPs may be effective for outcomes that are precursors to behaviour change. There is some, albeit weak evidence that IPV training may improve HCPs' attitudes towards IPV. Training may also improve IPV knowledge and HCPs' self-perceived readiness to respond to those affected by IPV, although we are not certain about this evidence. Although supportive evidence is weak and inconsistent, training may improve HCPs' actual responses, including the use of safety planning, identification and documentation of IPV in women's case histories. The sustained effect of training on these outcomes beyond 12 months is undetermined. Our confidence in these findings is reduced by the substantial level of heterogeneity across studies and the unclear risk of bias around randomisation and blinding of participants, as well as high risk of bias from attrition in many studies. Further research is needed that overcomes these limitations, as well as assesses the impacts of IPV training on HCPs' behavioral outcomes and the well-being of women survivors of IPV.

Best practices in mitigating the risk of biotin interference with laboratory testing.

Dietary biotin intake does not typically result in blood biotin concentrations that exceed interference thresholds for in vitro diagnostic tests. However, recent trends of high-dose biotin supplements and clinical trials of very high biotin doses for patients with multiple sclerosis have increased concerns about biotin interference with immunoassays. Estimates of the prevalence of high biotin intake vary, and patients may be unaware that they are taking biotin. Since 2016, 92 cases of suspected biotin interference have been reported to the US Food and Drug Administration. Immunoassays at greatest risk from biotin interference include thyroid and reproductive hormones, cardiac, and immunosuppressive drug tests. Several case studies have highlighted the challenge of biotin interference with thyroid hormone assays and the potential misdiagnosis of Graves' disease. Biotin interference should be suspected when immunoassay test results are inconsistent with clinical information; a clinically relevant biotin interference happens when the blood biotin concentration is high and the assay is sensitive to biotin. We propose a best practice workflow for laboratory scientists to evaluate discrepant immunoassay results, comprising: (1) serial dilution; (2) retesting after biotin clearance and/or repeat testing on an alternate platform; and (3) confirmation of the presence of biotin using depletion protocols or direct measurement of biotin concentrations. Efforts to increase awareness and avoid patient misdiagnosis should focus on improving guidance from manufacturers and educating patients, healthcare professionals, and laboratory staff. Best practice guidance for laboratory staff and healthcare professionals would also provide much-needed information on the prevention, detection, and management of biotin interference.

[Massage and sophrology workshops for haematology professionals]. / Atelier pause-massage et sophrologie pour les professionnels d'hématologie.

In haematology, the caregivers are confronted with the death of patients and the distress of their families. It is a working environment in which it is essential for the professionals to be taken care of in order to optimise the care provided to patients. At Nantes general hospital, massage and sophrology workshops enable the caregivers to recharge their batteries.

Enriching the care of patients with dementia in acute settings? The Dementia Champions Programme in Scotland.

Admission to hospital has been found to have a negative impact on people with dementia. The Scottish Dementia Champions programme was developed to prepare health and social service Dementia Champions working in acute settings as Change Agents. The programme was initially delivered to a cohort of 100 health professionals via blended learning, and comprised five study days, a half day spent in a local community setting, and e-learning. In order to complete the programme and graduate, participants were required to complete and submit reports relating to three work-based activities. The evaluation of the project adopted a two-pronged approach: Impact on programme participants was assessed by scores derived from the Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ) (Lintern, 1996) completed at Study Days 1 and 5, and analysis of qualitative data derived from the three written assignments. Participants were asked to evaluate course materials and input for each of the five study days, as well as satisfaction with delivery. Analysis of data derived from the ADQ and 100 reflective reports of the community experience indicate that participants' perceptions of people with dementia shifted significantly during the Programme. Participants identified a range of issues which should be addressed with a view to improving the experiences of people with dementia in acute settings, and put in place actions to bring about change. The format of the programme provided a cost effective means to prepare NHS and Social Service Dementia Champions as Change Agents for practice within a relatively short period of time, and would be transferrable to other staff groups as well as different organisational structures in other countries.

[What Should We Do in the Department of Clinical Laboratory in the Future?--Chairmen's Introductory Remarks].

The Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine and Japanese Association of Medical Technologists symposium was held at the 60th National Congress of the Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine. The theme of this symposium was "What should we do in the Department of Clinical Laboratory in the future?" In this symposium, we discussed the future of the Department of Clinical Laboratory. Three speakers talked about this theme: a laboratory doctor, a laboratory technician, and a laboratory technician training school teacher. The speed and accuracy of routine laboratory work and delivery of the results to medical staff have been evaluated. It is important for medical technologists to improve their ability to estimate laboratory data based on anatomical, pathological, and physiological knowledge. Medical technologists receive many requests. We have to respond to the questions from medical staff and provide patients with appropriate explanations. Our objective is to educate human resources who can support the overall process. We maintain the environment, and nurture various personnel who work in clinical, research, educational, and industrial fields. It is very important for medical technologists to perform their duties as medical staff. Medical technologists contribute to patients' diagnoses and treatments and they participate in hospital administration. Mutual cooperation within the clinical laboratory group may be necessary for future activity.

An explorative study of experiences of healthcare providers posing as simulated care receivers in a 'care-ethical' lab.

In recent approaches to ethics, the personal involvement of health care providers and their empathy are perceived as important elements of an overall ethical ability. Experiential working methods are used in ethics education to foster, inter alia, empathy. In 2008, the care-ethics lab 'sTimul' was founded in Flanders, Belgium, to provide training that focuses on improving care providers' ethical abilities through experiential working simulations. The curriculum of sTimul focuses on empathy sessions, aimed at care providers' empathic skills. The present study provides better insight into how experiential learning specifically targets the empathic abilities of care providers. Providing contrasting experiences that affect the care providers' self-reflection seems a crucial element in this study. Further research is needed to provide more insight into how empathy leads to long-term changes in behaviour.

Educating health professionals collaboratively for team-based primary care.

Team-based primary care offers the potential to dramatically improve the quality and efficiency of care, but its broader adoption is hindered by an education system that trains health professions in silos. Collaborative models that educate multiple practitioners together are needed to create a new generation of health professionals able to work in efficiently functioning teams. Changes in professional cultures, organizational structures, clinical partnerships, admissions, accreditation, and funding models will be required to support the expansion of collaborative education effectively.

[Current status of palliative care in medical oncology].

A team approach is efficient in palliative care for cancer patients. People suffered from cancer have a right to receive high-quality palliative care earlier in cancer treatment. In Japan the National Act for Strategy against Cancer was enacted in 2007. Systematic educational programs supported by the Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare has been conducted for medical staffs, home care staffs, local pharmacists, care managers etc. at core institutes in each district. Pain control is still major target for cancer palliative medicine. Recently various types of opioids can be used routinely in daily clinical setting for Japanese cancer patients. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may also effective in some patients but further study for proving scientific evidence in CAM should be warranted. Tailor-maid pain control will be established in the near future with molecular based pharmacogenomics.

How to improve nutritional support in geriatric institutions.

Nutritional problems are frequent in nursing homes including undernutrition, obesity, and diabetes mellitus, mainly related to disability and behavior troubles. Adequate nutritional care relies both on the quality of menus for regular and modified diet (texture-modified and enriched food) and on the staff knowledge of nutritional problems, particularly undernutrition. Self-assessment of professional practices for all staff categories that are involved in this area can be used to increase training of staff and quality of nutritional care.

[Evaluation of training programs in Hansen's Disease: opinion of physicians and nurses of family health teams]. / Avaliação das capacitações de hanseníase: opinião de médicos e enfermeiros das equipes de saúde da família.

Hansen's Disease is a contagious, milenar disease caused by the Mycobacterium leprae that manifests itself in the cutaneal cells and the peripheral nerves. In the decade of 1990, the control for the disease was descentralized from the state to the municipality level. A northeastern state in Brazil implemented a series of training programs for health professionals in primary attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate these training programs, based on the opinions of the physicians and nurses in the family health teams. The results indicate that the professionals evaluated the training program positively as to its implementation and the achievement of its objective. It is concluded that the training programs need to continue with changes that can contribute to future programs.

Avaliação das capacitações de hanseníase: opinião de médicos e enfermeiros das equipes de saúde da família / Evaluación de las capacitaciones de Hanseníasis: la visión de médicos y enfermeros de los equipos de salud de la familia / Evaluation of training programs in Hansen's Disease: opinion of physicians and nurses of family health teams

A hanseníase é uma doença milenar, infectocontagiosa, causada pelo Mycobacterium leprae; manifesta-se em células cutâneas e nervos periféricos. Na década de 1990, as ações de controle foram descentralizadas, passando do estado para o município. Um estado do nordeste brasileiro elaborou, então, uma série de treinamentos em hanseníase para capacitar os profissionais da rede básica. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar esses treinamentos a partir da opinião de médicos e enfermeiros das equipes de saúde da família. Os resultados indicam que os profissionais avaliaram os treinamentos positivamente quanto à sua implementação e ao objetivo de capacitá-los para a detecção da doença. Conclui-se que os treinamentos precisam ser continuados e lançam-se algumas reflexões para os próximos.

Hansen's Disease is a contagious, milenar disease caused by the Mycobacterium leprae that manifests itself in the cutaneal cells and the peripheral nerves. In the decade of 1990, the control for the disease was descentralized from the state to the municipality level. A northeastern state in Brazil implemented a series of training programs for health professionals in primary attention. The objective of this study was to evaluate these training programs, based on the opinions of the physicians and nurses in the family health teams. The results indicate that the professionals evaluated the training program positively as to its implementation and the achievement of its objective. It is concluded that the training programs need to continue with changes that can contribute to future programs.

La Lepra es una enfermedad milenaria, infectocontagiosa, provocada por el Mycobacterium leprae; se manifiesta en células cutáneas y nervios periféricos. En la década del 1990, las acciones de control fueron descentralizadas, pasando de la provincia para el municipio. Una provincia del nordeste brasileño elaboró, entonces, una serie de entrenamientos en hanseniasis para capacitar a los profesionales de la red básica. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar esos entrenamientos, a partir de la opinión de médicos y enfermeros de los equipos de salud de la familia. Los resultados indican que los profesionales evaluaron los entrenamientos positivamente en cuanto a su implementación y el objetivo de capacitarlos para la detección de la enfermedad. Se concluye que los entrenamientos necesitan ser continuados y se lanzan algunas reflexiones para los próximos.

Promoting safety: longer-term responses of three health professional groups to a safety improvement programme.

PURPOSE: Patient safety has been addressed since 2002 in the health system of New South Wales, Australia via a Safety Improvement Programme (SIP), which took a system-wide approach. The programme involved two-day courses to educate healthcare professionals to monitor and report incidents and analyse adverse events by conducting root cause analysis (RCA). This paper aims to predict that all professions would favour SIP but that their work and educational histories would result in doctors holding the least and nurses the most positive attitudes. Alternative hypotheses were that doctors' relative power and other professions' team-working skills would advantage the respective groups when conducting RCAs. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Responses to a 2005 follow-up questionnaire survey of doctors (n = 53), nurses (209) and allied health staff (59), who had participated in SIP courses, were analysed to compare: their attitudes toward the course; safety skills acquired and applied; perceived benefits of SIP and RCAs; and their experiences conducting RCAs. FINDINGS: Significant differences existed between professions' responses with nurses being the most and doctors the least affirming. Allied health responses resembled those of nurses more than those of doctors. The professions' experiences conducting RCAs (number conducted, leadership, barriers encountered, findings implemented) were similar. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Observational studies are needed to determine possible professional differences in the conduct of RCAs and any ensuing culture change that this may be eliciting. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: There is strong professional support for SIPs but less endorsement from doctors, who tend not to prefer the knowledge content and multidisciplinary teaching environment considered optimal for safety improvement education. This is a dilemma that needs to be addressed. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Few longer-term SIPs' assessments have been realised and the differences between professional groups have not been well quantified. As a result of this paper, benefits of and barriers to conducting RCAs are now more clearly understood.

Promoting lifestyle self-awareness among the medical team by the use of an integrated teaching approach: a primary care experience.

OBJECTIVES: Healthy lifestyle is recommended in clinical guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Research previously identified a gap between lifestyle recommendations and their implementation in clinical practice. In this paper, we describe a pilot educational program aimed to promote providers' awareness of their own lifestyles, and to explore whether increased personal awareness enhances providers' willingness to engage in lifestyle-change discussion with patients. METHODS: Two primary-care urban clinics in Northern Israel participated in the program, which consisted of a series of six biweekly educational sessions, each lasting 2-4 hours. Each session included both knowledge-based and experiential learning based on complementary medicine modalities. Surveys at the end of the program and a year later provided the program evaluation. RESULTS: Thirty-five personnel participated in the program. Thirteen (13) of the 20 participants (65%) reported an attitude change regarding eating habits after the program. At 1-year follow up, 24 of the 27 respondents (89%) stated that they were more aware of their eating habits and of their physical activity compared with precourse status. Twenty-three (23) of 27 respondents (85%) stated that after the program they were better prepared to initiate a conversation with their patients about lifestyle change. CONCLUSIONS: An integrated educational approach based on knowledge-based and complementary and alternative medicine experiential modalities, aimed to facilitate self-awareness, may enhance learners' attitude change. The findings demonstrate readiness of learners to reexamine their lifestyles. Increased self-awareness helped participants to make a positive attitude change regarding eating habits and physical activity and was associated with participants' increased engagement in lifestyle-change discussions with patients. The teaching approach had longstanding effect, noted in the one-year follow-up.

A quality improvement study on calcium and vitamin D supplementation in long-term care.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of a quality improvement (QI) study on improving calcium and vitamin D supplementation in a long-term care setting. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: An academic long-term care facility that specializes in dementia care in St Louis, MO. PARTICIPANTS: Participants consisted of 83 long-term care residents. INTERVENTION: The quality improvement team created an educational letter that was signed by the medical director and sent to the facilities' primary care physicians. This letter provided clinicians with the rationale and method to achieve adequate calcium supplementation, assess vitamin D status, and provide adequate vitamin D supplementation in our long-term care setting. Following the letter, the facility pharmacist reviewed the orders during monthly medication reviews and faxed requests to the primary care physicians for appropriate supplements or laboratory tests when necessary. MEASUREMENTS: We reviewed the charts for the presence of calcium supplementation orders, vitamin D levels, and vitamin D supplementation before and after our QI intervention. RESULTS: Of the 83 resident charts that were reviewed, only 37 (44.6%) had calcium supplementation, 19 (22.8%) had assessment of their vitamin D status, and 29 (34.9%) had ongoing vitamin D supplementation prior to implementation of the study. After the QI intervention, calcium supplementation was present in 66 residents (79.5%), vitamin D status had been assessed in 61 residents (73.4%), and vitamin D supplementation had been initiated in 65 residents (78.3%). These changes were statistically significant (P < .05). CONCLUSION: A quality improvement project that used an educational letter from the medical director combined with a medication and laboratory review by the pharmacist was able to increase the number of residents in our long-term care setting with calcium supplementation, increase the number of residents who had vitamin D status assessed, identify many residents with low vitamin D levels, and increase supplementation of vitamin D when indicated.

Integrative medicine: implementation and evaluation of a professional development program using experiential learning and conceptual change teaching approaches.

OBJECTIVE: To meet the increasing patient interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), conventional physicians need to understand CAM, be willing to talk with their patients about CAM, and be open to recommending selected patients to appropriate CAM modalities. We aimed to raise physicians' awareness of, and initiate attitudinal changes towards CAM in the context of integrative medical practice. We developed and implemented a professional development program involving experiential learning and conceptual change teaching approaches. METHODS: A randomized controlled study with a pre-post design in a large academic medical center. The 8-hour intervention used experiential and conceptual change educational approaches. Forty-eight cardiologists were randomized to participant and control groups. A questionnaire measured physicians' conceptions of, and attitudes to CAM, the likelihood of changing practice patterns, and the factors most important in influencing such changes. The questionnaire included an embedded control question on a topic that was not the focus of this program. We administered the questionnaire before (pretest) and after (posttest) the intervention. We compared differences in pre- and post-intervention scores between the participant (N = 20) and control (N = 16) groups. We used both groups to identify factors that influenced their practice patterns. The study was NIH-funded and IRB-exempt. RESULTS: Both groups initially had little knowledge about, and negative attitudes to CAM. The participant group had significant positive changes in their conceptions about, and attitudes to CAM after the program, and significant improvements when compared with the control group. Participant physicians significantly increased in their willingness to integrate CAM in their practices. Physicians (combined groups) rated research evidence as the most important factor influencing their willingness to integrate CAM. They requested more research evidence for CAM efficacy, and more information on non-conventional pharmacology. Participants reflected enthusiasm for the experiential program. CONCLUSIONS: The participants were able to experience the positive effects of selected CAM modalities. It is possible to increase physician knowledge and change attitudes towards integrative medicine with an eight-hour intervention using experiential and conceptual change teaching approaches. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Professional development on integrative medicine can be offered to medical practitioners using experiential learning and conceptual change teaching approaches, with the help of local CAM practitioners.

Enhancing clinician communication skills in a large healthcare organization: a longitudinal case study.

OBJECTIVE: This article describes the approach taken over the past 16 years by one large healthcare organization, Kaiser Permanente (KP), to enhance the clinical communication and relationship skills of their clinicians. METHODS: The centerpiece of KP's approach has been the creation and dissemination of a unifying clinician-patient communication (CPC) framework for teaching and research called the Four Habits Model. RESULTS: The Model has served as the foundation for a diverse array of KP programs. Sustained improvement in patient satisfaction scores has been demonstrated. Clinician-patient communication training has become a well-established component of professional development in KP. DISCUSSION: Enhancing clinicians' communication with patients is a complex task requiring planning and organizational commitment. Factors that have contributed to the success and lessons learned from incorporating clinician communication skills across the organization are described. CONCLUSION: The KP experience attests to the feasibility of bringing the vital skills of effective communication to large numbers of busy clinicians. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare practices wishing to enhance clinician-patient communication skills should consider using a consistent teaching model, ensuring strong sponsorship from leaders, and emphasizing clinician satisfaction in the design of programs.

Complementary therapies: knowledge and attitudes of health professionals.

This cross-sectional, single-site project studied a random selection of qualified doctors and nurses in an NHS children's trust, using a combination of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The hypothesis tested was that: 'Health professionals at the trust neither feel able nor perceive a need to provide information about complementary therapies to families under their care'. Fifty questionnaires were distributed, 36 returned and 10 interviews completed. The study demonstrated complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use was high among respondents and probably high among their patients. Attitudes were generally positive towards CAM use in children, although staff expressed concerns that CAM should do no harm. Knowledge of CAM was very limited but did not prevent staff from discussing CAM with patients or endorsing its use. It was felt CAM offered greatest benefit to children with chronic illnesses but that its most important role lay in the psychological support it could provide for both children and parents.

On reflection: doctors learning to care for people who are dying.

Humane care is an essential component of the doctor's role at the end of life. Over the last 20 years, there has been a steady global increase in the extent and variety of medical teaching about the care of people who are dying. In some countries, palliative medicine is now recognised as a discrete medical specialty. Rightly, much emphasis has been placed on symptom management, communication skills and ethical issues. But rarely does the concept of care, or how doctors learn to care, emerge in the medical literature. The concept of "care" is usually defined as a professional behaviour: attending to a patient's needs. Yet, the concept of care also requires a professional commitment on a more holistic level. To care is to be receptive to and responsible for others. This is care motivated by true empathy: a concern for the patient's well-being that comes from a sensitive identification with the patient's situation. This paper reports some of the findings from an interpretive phenomenological study involving 10 doctors and their experiences of learning to care for people who were dying. The doctors came from differing medical disciplines and had varying levels of experience. During the interviews the doctors retrospectively identified "turning points" at which they first perceived some notion of what it means to care for someone who is dying. The doctors often used poignant language when recollecting the strong feelings associated with these critical incidents. They felt that their training had been inadequate in preparing them for such care. The article asks whether their medical education had adequately prepared these doctors for this key element of their work. It recommends ways in which practitioners may be better prepared to care for people who are dying.