Claire Creutzfeldt, MD, is a stroke neurologist at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to the integration of palliative care in patients with severe acute brain injury and their families. Her body of research aims to address issues of communication and decision-making for people facing severe neurologic illness. She is also 础辫谤颈濒鈥檚 National Grand Rounds speaker, and Palliative Care 51吃瓜网had the pleasure of asking Dr. Creutzfeldt about her upcoming talk.听
Lexa Frail (LF): Could you give us the highlights of your lecture?听
Claire Creutzfeldt (CC): As you know, I'm a stroke neurologist and neurointensivist trained in palliative care, and my research has always been informed by the questions that arise at the bedside. And that's what I'll be talking about.听
LF: That sounds very interesting.听
CC: Specifically, I think about what the palliative care needs that are specific to people with severe stroke and other brain injuries are. How do we integrate palliative care into the care of these people and their families, and how do we help them establish goals of care, understand likely outcomes and make difficult treatment decisions, especially over time?听
LF: What can palliative care specifically offer to severe stroke patients?听听
CC: First of all, as a stroke community especially, I think we need to start by acknowledging that there's way more to stroke than the first 48 hours. The last two decades have seen a revolutionary change not only in palliative care, but also in the way that we treat, research, and care for patients with acute stroke. I mean, if you are lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time with the right kind of stroke, you actually have a chance of being cured. But most people continue to be affected by their stroke for much longer, and they're faced with pain, depression, anxiety, new social roles, and those come with several other sources of psychological and existential distress for both patients and their family care partners.听听
LF: It's definitely a big challenge. How can patients and their care partners advocate for palliative care services?听听
CC: Education is obviously always key. I think patients and families need to understand how a palliative care approach can help them through their journey. What they need is a medical team that is not only working to treat and to cure, but also to heal, to holistically assess and address all sources of suffering, to communicate efficiently, to prognosticate, and to help them longitudinally with difficult decisions.听听
LF: Is there anything else you would like the audience to know?听
CC: I'm grateful that the palliative care world is interested in neurology and neuropalliative care and working together to create a new model of care for people with stroke and acute brain injuries.听听
LF: It really is a team effort across many different disciplines. It's great to see when it all comes together.听听
CC: Absolutely. I think that's key, a transdisciplinary team effort.听
Dr. Creutzfeldt鈥檚 lecture, 鈥淚ntegrating Palliative Care into Stroke Care 鈥� Opportunities and Challenges," will be held on April 30, 2025, at the MUHC Neuro Institute. Physicians will not want to miss this one.听