Everything Happens with Kate Bowler Sunita Puri: The Uncertainty Specialist
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May 21, 2024 Dr. Sunita Puri, a palliative care physician and author, discusses the vital aspects of navigating life's uncertainties. She explains the nuances of palliative care versus hospice, emphasizing compassionate communication and ethical patient choices. Sunita shares strategies for discussing difficult diagnoses with patients, promoting a balance of hope and vulnerability. Through powerful personal stories, she illustrates the importance of human connection in medicine and how simple gestures of support can profoundly impact those facing illness.
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Communicate Clearly, Avoid Overload
- Avoid overwhelming patients with excessive medical details that confuse more than clarify.
- Focus communication on what they need to know to understand their situation and make decisions.
Choosing Comfort Over Treatment
- Sunita Puri agonized over treatment decisions for Mr. Smith, a terminally ill patient with extensive cancer.
- She chose comfort over aggressive treatment and stayed with him until he died, holding his hand.
Palliative Care as Borderland Journey
- Palliative care is a 'borderland' between life and death, where uncertainty is inherent.
- Doctors act as Sherpas, guiding patients through unknown terrain but can't prevent pain entirely.