Carey Candrian
Discipline: Communications
Funding awarded to: University of Colorado School of Medicine
Communication guidelines to improve the quality of hospice admission interactions
For this project, I will focus on individuals and their caregivers considering hospice, and especially LGBT individuals, a population that has been identified as a national health priority and an at-risk population. This project aims to improve the way hospice services are explained so that patients and their caregivers can make informed decisions around transitioning to hospice. With a special emphasis on one minority population in particular “the LGBT population,“ I will develop stakeholder-based communication guidelines to help nurses improve the quality of hospice admission consults for individuals considering hospice.
“My vision is focused on innovative ways to impact the way information about end of life care options is shared and delivered to patients and those who care for them via communication interventions. I am dedicated to a career in the field of palliative care focusing on effecting and leading change on a communication and policy level so that LGBT individuals can access high quality hospice and palliative care that aligns with their needs. Through the support of this award, I will be able to develop leadership skills in policy, ethics and advocacy in order to ensure that the needs of LGBT individuals are understood and met as they transition to end of life care.”