Palliative Care in Liver Disease: A Podcast with Kirsten Engel, Sarah Gillespie-Heyman, Brittany Waterman, & Amy Johnson

Palliative Care in Liver Disease: A Podcast with Kirsten Engel, Sarah Gillespie-Heyman, Brittany Waterman, & Amy Johnson

Author: Alex Smith, Eric Widera July 11, 2024 Duration: 51:24

In May we did a podcast on KidneyPal (the integration of palliative care in renal disease), which made us think, hmmm… one organ right next door is the liver. Maybe we should do a podcast on LiverPal? (or should we call it HepatoPal?)

On today's podcast, we do that by inviting four palliative care leaders who are integrating palliative care into the care of those with liver disease: Kirsten Engel, Sarah Gillespie-Heyman, Brittany Waterman, and Amy Johnson.

It's a jampacked 50 minutes, filled with pearls on taking care of patients with liver disease.  We cover:

  • How each of their LiverPal teams are structured

  • Why and how LiverPal differ from general palliative care or other palliative care specialty areas (KidneyPal, PalliPulm, etc)

  • How to prognosticate in liver disease and how they communicate this with patients

  • How to think about expectations of transplants and limitations of it

  • How to manage complications and symptoms ranging from ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, pain, itching, cramps, and depression

Also, if you want to take an ever deeper dive, check out our 2022 podcast on End Stage Liver Disease with Jen Lai, Ricky Shinall, Nneka Ufere, and Arpan Patel




Hosted by UCSF physicians Alex Smith and Eric Widera, GeriPal-A Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Podcast creates a vital space for conversation at the intersection of aging and serious illness care. This isn't a dry lecture series; it's a dynamic dialogue where Eric and Alex bring on leading experts to unpack the complexities of geriatric and palliative medicine. They delve into the latest research that should change practice, tackle the ethical dilemmas that provoke debate, and explore the nuanced clinical challenges that professionals face daily. The tone is engaging and often surprisingly lighthearted, with moments of humor and even the occasional song, making profound topics more accessible. Whether you're a clinician, nurse, social worker, or any professional dedicated to this field, this podcast offers a blend of evidence-based insights and practical wisdom you can use. It’s a resource that acknowledges the weight of the work while fostering connection and continued learning. For those seeking formal education credits, AMA PRA Category 1 CME and MOC credit are also available through the show. Tune in to join a community committed to improving care for older adults and those with serious illness.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

GeriPal - A Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Implementing Palliative Care in Nursing Homes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:06
The need for better palliative care in nursing homes is significant. Consider this: the majority of the 1.4 million adults residing in U.S. nursing homes grapple with serious illnesses, and roughly half experience dement…
Lucid Episodes: Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi & Andrew Peterson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:55
Have any of you watched the movie "The Notebook"? At the end, one of the characters, who has dementia, experiences an episode of lucidity. When I watched it, between tears (I'm a complete softie) I remember thinking, "Oh…
Music as Medicine: Jenny Chen, Tyler Jorgensen, & Theresa Allison [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
As you know, dear listeners, I love music. We start each podcast with a song in part to shift the frame, taking people out of their academic selves and into a more informal conversation. Well, today's guests love music a…
HIV, Aging, and Palliative Care: Peter Selwyn and Meredith Greene [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:59
Peter Selwyn, one of today's guests, has been caring for people living with HIV for over 40 years. In that time, care of people with HIV has changed dramatically. Initially, there was no treatment, then treatments with m…
Loss of DEI Hurts Everyone: Farah Stockman, Ali Thomas, Ken Covinsky [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:18
I read Farah Stockman's article in the NYT on why attacks on DEI will cost us all, and thought, "Yes, and 'everyone' includes harm to our healthcare workforce, our patients, and their families." So we're delighted that F…