The Initial Interview in Palliative Care Consultation

The initial interview is a critical moment in the relationship between the patient and the palliative care team. Good communication skills, while always important in clinical medicine, are especially indispensable in this context, where a life-threatening illness and associated fear, anxiety, sadness, and hope can make for a challenging clinician-patient relationship. When done expertly, the initial interview builds the rapport and trust needed for the therapeutic work of palliative care, which includes the exploration of a broad range of biopsychosocial and existential/spiritual issues.

This topic focuses on the key elements of the initial interview in subspecialty consultation for an adult. An overview of the domains of a comprehensive palliative care assessment and related topics in palliative care are covered elsewhere.