Posted on Nov 9, 2012
For most of his medical career, Kamloops oncologist Dr Ardashes Avanessian tended to postpone end-of-life discussions with his patients, often waiting until their disease was quite advanced.
“It’s a difficult thing to talk about because it’s so emotionally laden and it takes time and you have to be in the right mood,” says Avanessian, who adds that his medical training didn’t prepare him for taking responsibility in that area.
“I knew the discussion had to happen, and it always bothered me when I didn’t get around to it,” says Avanessian. “I felt like part of my practice was missing, and I felt unfinished with my patients as they went through this phase and moved to another physician.”
In March 2011 Avanessian participated in a Practice Support Program (PSP) module about end-of-life (EOL) care, where he learned about the Ministry of Health’s support for advance care planning and about the resources available for both physicians and for patients and family members confronting end-of-life issues.
