Author Spotlight

Author Spotlight: Ira Byock, MD

“We need to move past our hesitation in talking about dying and accept the fact that we are not immortal,” says Dr. Ira Byock, author of The Best Care Possible and director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. “Once we accept that fact, we can focus on how to provide the best care possible for those who are incurable.”
For more than 30 years, Ira has worked with patients and their families to make difficult decisions about care. “The fundamental nature of illness is personal,” says Ira. The palliative care approach lends itself well to improving the quality of life and personal experience of serious illness, including the dying process. Continue reading →

Posted in Author Spotlight, Current News | Tagged death and dying, end of life, Ira Byock, medical decisions, palliative care, shared decision making | Permalink Leave a comment

Author Spotlight: Angela Coulter, PhD

“What [we need] is a radical change in the way medicine is practiced,” says Angela Coulter, director of global initiatives at the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation and author of Engaging Patients in Healthcare, her latest book. Angela’s book is a comprehensive, evidence-based textbook that explores the ways in which patient engagement can improve overall health care. Continue reading →