Jump to Navigation

What can we help you find today? Type what you’re looking for in the space below.

Close
  • About Us
    • Committee Members
    • Reports
      • Evaluations
      • Years in Review and Annual Reports
      • Archived SSC Co-Chair Report
      • Meeting Summaries (The Wrap)
  • Programs and Initiatives
    • Develop Physician Capability
      • Physician Quality Improvement Initiative
      • Provincial Physician QI Coaching Program
      • Physician Leadership Development
      • UBC Sauder Physician Leadership Program
      • Alum Hub
    • Engage Physicians & Health Partners
      • Facility Engagement
      • Specialists Well-Being Pilot (SWELL)
      • Supporting Community Based Specialists
    • Transform Care Delivery
      • Enhancing Access Initiative
      • Spreading Quality Improvement
      • Perioperative Clinical Action Network (PCAN)
      • SSC Fees
      • Health System Redesign
      • Consultant Specialist Team Care
  • News
    • Upcoming Events
    • SSC Focus newsletters
    • Videos
  • Contact
  • The Exchange
  • Main Menu
  • search

End-of-life discussions between doctors and patients are beneficial to both

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.

READ MORE ON BCMJ.ORG

  • Upcoming Events
  • SSC Focus newsletters
  • Videos

What’s New

May 5, 2025

Burnaby Hospital tackles surgical delays with innovative prehabilitation program

Apr 22, 2025

Transforming care with hospital at home in British Columbia

Apr 14, 2025

Chilliwack leads the way with groundbreaking housing initiative to attract physicians

Mar 24, 2025

Dr Sabrina Nurmohamed's innovative approach to expanding dermatology access

View all News

About Us

  • Committee Members
  • Reports

SSC Fees

  • Advance Care Planning
  • Discharge Care Planning
  • Group Medical Visits (GMV)
  • Multidisciplinary Conferencing
  • Patient Follow-up Fees
  • Specialist Advice Fees
  • FAQs
  • Labour Market Adjustment Fees

News

  • Upcoming Events
  • SSC Focus newsletters
  • Videos

General Contact

Specialist Services Committee
sscbc@doctorsofbc.ca
604-638-4853  

The Specialist Services Committee acknowledges that we work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many different Indigenous Nations throughout British Columbia.

Acknowledging that we are on the traditional territories of First Nations communities is an expression of cultural humility and involves recognizing our duty and desire to support the provision of culturally safe care to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in BC. 

Government of BC   Doctors of BC

Specialist Services Committee © Doctors of BC

  • About Us
    • Committee Members
    • Reports
  • Programs and Initiatives
    • Develop Physician Capability
    • Engage Physicians & Health Partners
    • Transform Care Delivery
  • News
    • Upcoming Events
    • SSC Focus newsletters
    • Videos
  • Contact
  • The Exchange
  • Main Menu
  • search

Back to top