Presenting Faculty
Alex Gamble, MD FAAHPM
Session Overview
This session focuses on conducting a comprehensive whole‑person assessment to identify and address multiple dimensions of suffering in patients with serious and complex illness, supporting informed, patient‑ and family‑centered clinical decision‑making.
What Learners Will Gain
Learners will self‑report the ability to apply, analyze, and evaluate outcomes from a comprehensive whole‑person assessment when making appropriate diagnostic and clinical decisions that have important consequences for patients and families experiencing serious and complex illness.
Domains of Whole‑Person Assessment
• Social factors, including financial considerations
• Cultural considerations, including patient and family values and implicit bias
• Social determinants of health
Key Clinical and Ethical Considerations
• Decision‑making capacity, including assessment and developmental stages
• Caregiver assessment and support needs
• Family and patient as the unit of care
Spiritual and Psychosocial Dimensions
• Spiritual considerations, including meaning, hope, and spiritual life
• Religious beliefs and practices and their role in care planning
Clinical Focus Areas
• Identifying and integrating multiple dimensions of suffering
• Supporting shared decision‑making across diverse contexts
• Improving care outcomes for patients and families through holistic assessment