Communications with Patients and Families

Janet Abrahm, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO

Recovery from Burnout or Compassion Fatigue

January 2025

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Communication Pearls → Newsletters

End of Life and Bereavement → End of Life Conversations → Newsletters

End of Life and Bereavement → Compassion Fatigue and Burnout → Newsletters

End of Life and Bereavement → Grieving → Newsletters

Janet Abrahm, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO

Mastering Serious Illness Communication: An Interview with Dr. James Tulsky

March 2026

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Serious Illness Conversations → Newsletters

Janet Abrahm, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, FASCO

Formulation: The Key to Difficult Conversations

May 2026

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Communication Pearls → Newsletters

VitalTalk.org

Learn to communicate effectively with seriously ill patients.

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Serious Illness Conversations → Websites

Wong R, D’Mello B, Mah K, Miljanovski M, Li A, et al.

Prognostic beliefs in patients with cancer receiving outpatient palliative care.

Support Care Cancer 2025;33:377

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Miscellaneous → Articles

Padamatinti S, Fowler ME, Stephenson C, Dai C, Giri S, et al.

Association of limited health literacy with frailty, health-related quality of life, and health care utilization among older adults with cancer: the cancer and aging resilience evaluation registry.

JCO Oncol Pract 2025;21:720-728

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Miscellaneous → Articles

Becker C, Sheppard J, Williams C, Billington L, McCoy M, et al.

Prognostic understanding among patients with advanced cancer recently referred to an enhanced supportive care service: results from the cross-sectional ProgESC study.

Support Care Cancer 2025;33:388

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Miscellaneous → Articles

Baker KM, Andersen L, McHugh M, Foxwell AM, Zhou Q, et al.

Regret in clinical trial participation among cancer patients.

J Palliat Med 2025;28:185-192

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Miscellaneous → Articles

Kozlov E, Luth EA, Nemeth S, Becker TD, Duberstein PR.

Knowledge of and preferences for Medical Aid in Dying.

JAMA Network Open 2025;8:e2461495

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Medical Aid in Dying (MAID)→ Articles

Singh S, Dafoe A, Cagle J, Messersmith WA, Kessler ER, et al.

Respect for the patient-oncologist relationship may limit serious illness communication by acute and postacute care clinicians after discharge to a skilled nursing facility.

JCO Oncol Pract 2024;21:163-169 (see also Lage editorial)

View this resource in context: Communications with Patients and Families → Advance Care Planning → Articles

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oncology supportive care

About Dr. Abrahm

Janet Abrahm, MD is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is among the founders of Palliative Care in the United States and the author of four comprehensive books on supportive and palliative care for patients with cancer. Dr. Abrahm is a former practicing oncologist who created the Palliative Care Service at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute over 20 years’ ago. She is an award-winning clinician and educator and continues to practice palliative care at Dana Farber.

Dr. Abrahm's Book

Dr. Abrahm is the author of four comprehensive editions  on supportive and palliative care for patients with cancer, the first published in 2000 and the latest in 2022.

Her extensive work offers oncologists and other oncology and palliative care clinicians a place to turn to find the most up-to-date evidence-based practices, resources, and practical advice on how to care for patients across the full range of issues they will experience during their illness.