- webmd.com/palliative-care/what-is-palliative-care
- webmd.com/palliative-care/pediatric-palliative-care-pediatric-advanced-care
- webmd.com/palliative-care/the-palliative-caregiver
- blogs.webmd.com/webmd-guests/2011/09/palliative-care-and-serious-illness.html
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Katherine Kam — freelance writer Sonya Collins — freelance writer Gina Shaw — freelance writer Eileen Beal — freelance writer Dan DeNoon — WebMD Laura Martin, MD — WebMD
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
This designated series of articles was published in 2011 as part of a new palliative care center that WebMD launched in 2011. -What is Palliative Care? published on Jan. 24, 2011. -Pediatric Palliative Care: Easing Your Child’s Suffering published on Feb. 2, 2011. -The Palliative Caregiver published on March 2, 2011. -Pediatric Care and Serious Illness published on Sept. 13, 2011.
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
WebMD is entering a designated series of articles — three feature stories and a related blog– from the Palliative Care Center, which WebMD launched in 2011 with more than 20 articles. So many people have had loved ones with chronic or life-threatening illnesses, and we realized there wasn’t a comprehensive place for patients and their families to learn what to expect. Partnering with the Institute for Palliative Medicine, we developed resources about this specialty, which focuses on improving life and providing comfort to people in need. Many people think palliative care is just for the dying, and it’s important for our readers to know how to get help as soon as someone is diagnosed with a serious illness. Here are the features and the blog we’re entering: •What Is Palliative Care?: A feature explaining palliative care and how it differs from hospice care. •Pediatric Palliative Care: Easing Your Child’s Suffering: A feature on what parents can expect when their child needs palliative care. •The Palliative Caregiver: A feature on what caregivers need to know about palliative care, for the benefit of their loved one and also to help them cope with caregiver stress. •Palliative Care and Serious Illness: A blog written by WebMD Medical Editor Laura Martin, MD. She has completed Harvard Medical School’s program in palliative care education and practice, and has served as a co-director of palliative care at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Writers explored the medical literature on all aspects of palliative care. Books and other literature intended for patients and families were also reviewed. FOI or other Public Records Act requests were not necessary.
Explain types of human sources used.
Besides talking with patients, families, caregivers, and palliative care practitioners, we also consulted with the Institute for Palliative Medicine. WebMD medical editor Laura Martin, MD, also has experience with palliative care, and she was a key part of planning, and reviewing, every article in this project. Dr. Martin also reached out to her former classmates at Harvard Medical School’s program in palliative care education and practice for their insight and feedback.
Results:
The palliative care community — including caregivers, family members, and palliative care specialists — has expressed gratitude for our coverage. Here are some of the comments posted by readers on Dr. Martin’s blog: “First, it is beyond wonderful to hear a doctor speak about care in these terms. So often I have been in hospital situations where to the doctors the human body is a machine to be fixed-that there is no soul or feeling, or fear involved.” “Life is fleeting, medical science can offer so much, but when a body is ready to go, it is ready to go. Knowing that there are doctors like Dr. Martin out there that understand palliative care, and the dignity and comfort it can provide for the patient and the family is quite comforting indeed.”
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
n/a
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Think about what your reader is going through and their emotions. Someone looking for information on palliative care is probably doing so because they have a loved one who is seriously ill. They’re likely drained, physically and emotionally, from trying to help their loved one and deal with their own emotions. Of course, on any story, it’s important to provide clear information that’s instantly accessible to the reader. But it’s particularly important to deliver that when your readers are probably burdened by their difficult situation. With a topic like palliative care, the writing must show empathy. But it must also show respect by not becoming overly sentimental. A great deal of effort must also go into organizing the material so that it does not add to the frustration patients, caregivers, and families already face. Lastly, be willing to “go there.” This is a topic many people do not want to face. It’s not likely to attract a huge audience, compared to other subjects you could cover. But think about the sheer human need, and then meet the reader where they are.