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CACCC Medical Team China Visit
Esther Luo, M.D.
I recently had the incredible opportunity to join Sandy Chen Stokes, CACCC's founder, Gary Lee (CACCC board member), Janet Lee (physical therapist), and Nancy Chiang (nurse educator) for a palliative care and end-of-life care training in China in collaboration with Linda from Project HOPE.
This year marked the inaugural physician train the trainer end-of-life training and the 7th annual nurses train-the-trainer end-of-life training in Wuhan. We then traveled to Beijing, where we held inaugural nurses train-the-trainer end-of-life training. Over eight days, we each had the privilege to teach several topics related to end-of-life care. It was my second year participating in this impactful work, and I felt honored to contribute once again.
There is clearly a growing interest in end-of-life care in China, with government policies actively encouraging its development. We’ve noticed more nurses eager to learn about this topic, and a growing number of physicians wanting to become more involved.
During the trip, I observed several key differences in how end-of-life care is delivered in China compared to the U.S. One significant difference lies in the communication process when delivering bad news about serious illnesses. It is common for doctors to speak with family members, rather than the patient, when disclosing a serious diagnosis, such as Stage IV cancer. Many believe that patients cannot handle bad news or a poor prognosis emotionally. This belief, rooted in traditional filial piety, often leads families to pursue aggressive treatments—even when it may not align with the patient's individual wishes. Another key difference relates to the concept of comfort care. In the U.S., we often forgo life-sustaining treatments, like IV hydration and nutrition, at the end of life. However, in China, these treatments are still considered part of comfort care, even in hospice settings.
In addition to teaching, we had the opportunity to visit several inpatient hospice units in Beijing and participated in patient case discussions and hospital rounds at Hubei's cancer hospital. In China, hospice is mainly delivered in the hospital setting rather than at patient’s homes as seen in the US. Another difference I noticed was that many hospitals in China will have a traditional Chinese unit where Chinese herbs and acupuncture are used as part of symptoms treatment. I think this is a great compliment to the Western treatments offered to patients in addressing symptoms.
Another memorable part of our trip was visiting Taikang’s memorial parks and a senior care center. Located on the outskirts of Beijing, the senior care center houses over 3,000 residents. In addition to living facilities, the center also includes a hospital, an emergency room, an inpatient palliative care unit, and even an embalming room for deceased patients. This end-to-end service model for seniors is fascinating and offers much to learn from.
Lastly, the hospitality and dedication of the people we met left a lasting impression. It’s an experience that words alone can't capture but one that profoundly touched us all.
This year marked the inaugural physician train the trainer end-of-life training and the 7th annual nurses train-the-trainer end-of-life training in Wuhan. We then traveled to Beijing, where we held inaugural nurses train-the-trainer end-of-life training. Over eight days, we each had the privilege to teach several topics related to end-of-life care. It was my second year participating in this impactful work, and I felt honored to contribute once again.
There is clearly a growing interest in end-of-life care in China, with government policies actively encouraging its development. We’ve noticed more nurses eager to learn about this topic, and a growing number of physicians wanting to become more involved.
During the trip, I observed several key differences in how end-of-life care is delivered in China compared to the U.S. One significant difference lies in the communication process when delivering bad news about serious illnesses. It is common for doctors to speak with family members, rather than the patient, when disclosing a serious diagnosis, such as Stage IV cancer. Many believe that patients cannot handle bad news or a poor prognosis emotionally. This belief, rooted in traditional filial piety, often leads families to pursue aggressive treatments—even when it may not align with the patient's individual wishes. Another key difference relates to the concept of comfort care. In the U.S., we often forgo life-sustaining treatments, like IV hydration and nutrition, at the end of life. However, in China, these treatments are still considered part of comfort care, even in hospice settings.
In addition to teaching, we had the opportunity to visit several inpatient hospice units in Beijing and participated in patient case discussions and hospital rounds at Hubei's cancer hospital. In China, hospice is mainly delivered in the hospital setting rather than at patient’s homes as seen in the US. Another difference I noticed was that many hospitals in China will have a traditional Chinese unit where Chinese herbs and acupuncture are used as part of symptoms treatment. I think this is a great compliment to the Western treatments offered to patients in addressing symptoms.
Another memorable part of our trip was visiting Taikang’s memorial parks and a senior care center. Located on the outskirts of Beijing, the senior care center houses over 3,000 residents. In addition to living facilities, the center also includes a hospital, an emergency room, an inpatient palliative care unit, and even an embalming room for deceased patients. This end-to-end service model for seniors is fascinating and offers much to learn from.
Lastly, the hospitality and dedication of the people we met left a lasting impression. It’s an experience that words alone can't capture but one that profoundly touched us all.
Compassionate Column
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