doctor_w_ladyClosure is committed to teaching outpatient physicians the communication skills, medical principles, and specific techniques needed to improve the care that they provide for patients with life-limiting illnesses.

To help, Closure is developing an accredited online curriculum that will review:

  • Advance planning and goal setting
  • Communication about diagnosis and prognosis
  • Management of symptoms arising from both the illness and its treatment
  • Response to crisis situations
  • Appropriate use of palliative care consultations and techniques (including provision of palliative treatments by the primary physician)
  • Use of hospice services
  • Specific considerations in making decisions about life-sustaining treatments such as ventilation, feeding tubes and dialysis

The online curriculum is being finalized now. Contact Nancy Zionts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 412-594-2559 to let us know if you would like to be alerted when we launch this new educational feature.