Integrative Therapies in Palliative Care: Massage Therapy and Touch Interventions

Integrative Therapies in Palliative Care: Massage Therapy and Touch Interventions is organized by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

Release Date: December 1, 2023
Expiration Date: November 30, 2026

Description:
This one-hour course is part of a 9-course program for multidisciplinary health professionals on integrative approaches in hospice and palliative care (PC). The overall goal is to prepare learners to participate in multidisciplinary care planning with evidence-based information on the use of massage therapy and touch interventions in PC settings. This course reviews the history of massage therapy and touch interventions, major types of massage therapy and touch interventions used in PC, theoretical mechanisms of action, training, delivery strategies in PC settings, safety considerations, scientific evidence base, and communicating about the modality with colleagues, patients and families. As members of a multidisciplinary PC team, learners will be sufficiently informed about massage therapy and touch interventions that they can participate in care planning meetings with evidence-informed understanding of their role in PC.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the major types of massage therapy and touch interventions commonly used in palliative care.
• Summarize the evidence of the effects of massage therapy and touch interventions on symptoms commonly seen in palliative care.
• Explain to patients or family members when asked, how massage therapy and touch interventions work and what outcomes or benefits they can realistically expect