Thursday, December 14, 2000
10:00 AM
Minnesota Partnership to Improve End of Life Care

Minnesota Commission on End of Life Care Standards Sub-Committee

Attendees: Becky Woll, MHHP; Joanne Hilden, Pediatric Consultant; Mary Hedges, EMSRB; Linda Norlander, MN Partnership; Barry Baines, MN Partnership; Bonnie Wendt, Dept. of Health; Ellie Hands, MHO; Ryan Griffin, MCCL

Notes: Brenda Paul, MN Partnership

Quick review of small group meeting from the November 9^th Commission on End of Life Care meeting:

At the November 9, 2000 Commission meeting the group broke into 4 small groups (access, standards, education and public policy) and each small group was charged with selecting one issue around which a recommendation could be made.

The Standards Small Group decided to focus on the issue of improving end of life care through public awareness of appropriate symptom management.

Improving the standards of end of life care will be achieved through public awareness of adequate symptom management.

• The standards group would like to test this by drafting a piece for distribution to the public on pain management. This could be tested in at least two clinical settings before the end of the Commission to be included as research in the recommendations.
• The pain piece follows the recently released Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Pain Standards. The new pain standards appear on the web site:

wwwb.jcaho.org/standard/pm_hap.html

• Timeline will be to have the piece made, distributed and evaluated by the May Commission meeting.

The group requested the staff present the standardized DNR/DNI issue to the Public Policy small group. This issue might require separate work by staff and Mary Hedges of the EMSRB to make sure it is adequately presented in the final Commission report.

Tasks for the Standards Small Group and the MN Partnership Staff:

• The Commission members in the Standards small group will send pain myths, facts and data to Brenda Paul.
• MN Partnership staff will draft the points to be included in the pain piece for the next Commission meeting.
• Standards small group will ask for feedback and approval of process at the January 9^th Commission meeting.
• Staff and group member will try to find two clinical sites where the pain piece could be distributed and tested.

Meeting adjourned at 11:30 AM

Next Meeting – To be determined