Daily pre-rounds between the palliative care and MICU teams increased palliative care services for MICU patients at risk for poor outcomes, who may benefit from a palliative care consultation.

Although central to human development and functioning, emotions have, until recently, had a somewhat marginal status in scientific disciplines in general, and have been largely ignored in the more applied settings such as human factors. Over the past 10 years, however, research in emotion in both psychology and neuroscience has established that emotion is intricately linked with what has been traditionally thought of as purely cognitive functions; that is, attention, perception, memory, planning, learning, etc. These realizations, together with increasing demands in the areas of human-machine interaction, and advances in human-computer interactions technologies, have fueled the recent burgeoning interest in a broad area termed 'affective computing'. The objective of this panel is three fold: 1) provide a broad overview of affective computing; 2) highlight specific areas in affective computing relevant to human factors; and 3) provide alternative perspectives regarding the feasibility of selected affective computing efforts. SUMMARYAlthough central to human development and functioning, emotions have, until recently, had a somewhat marginal status in scientific disciplines in general, and have been largely ignored in the more applied settings such as human factors. The study of emotions was generally equated with such ineffable phenomena as qualia and consciousness, and it was not clear how these problems could be addressed, or in what way the study of emotions could help elucidate and enhance the nature of human behavior and information processing. Furthermore, emotions were often studied in the context of psychopathology and severely maladaptive behaviors, which served to further marginalize the overall enterprise.

Three months following a craniectomy and cranioplasty indicated for intraperenchymal hemorrhage, a 74-year-old male suffered a cerebrospinal fluid leak complicated by delayed tension pneumocephalus and declining neurologic status demonstrating a particularly rare complication of neurologic trauma and surgery. While with symptoms of a space occupying mass is the most common presentation, the patient presented cerebrospinal fluid leak prompting CT imaging and diagnosis. Urgent surgical decompression is necessary and was performed resulting in improved mental status.

The DP-PC is a technology-savvy educational intervention that improves learner confidence and knowledge toward caring for dying patients and their families. Easy access, technology-based teaching tools may enhance bedside teaching of health-care learners and improve the care of patients and their families at the end of life.

Medical students exposure to this multimedia EOL curriculum increases positive attitudes in caring for dying patients and their families.