What does death and dying have to do with prevention? We’re supposed to prevent that from ever happening right? Well, unfortunately none of us can avoid death at some point; yet, our healthcare system hardly addresses the needs and medical care of those nearing the end of their life. Luckily, there are people who focus a large part of their career to just that. Dr. Nicole Piemonte is an assistant professor and assistant dean at the Creighton University School of Medicine having earned her PhD in Medical Humanities. On top of that, Dr. Piemonte is the author of two excellent books – “Afflicted: How Vulnerability can Heal Medical Education and Practice” as well as “Death and Dying.”
In this episode, we discuss all things death and the role of preventive medicine around the end of life. We talk about how many people now die in circumstances against their wishes, how the hospital became a place of death, how the medical system isn’t designed to care for dying patients, and what we can do about it. This podcast covers many important topics that might not seem relevant at the time but that quickly become all encompassing in unfortunate circumstances. Give this episode a listen and let me know what you think!