'The Worst Part Is Not the Pain; It Is the Loneliness': Detecting and Managing the Silent Epidemic of Loneliness

•Identify the prevalence of loneliness in palliative patients.•Recognize the prevalence of loneliness in palliative patients.•Identify at least three practical strategies to detect and manage loneliness in your daily practice. It is well known that loneliness is a significant risk factor for premature mortality and is comparable with the effects of smoking. However, little attention has been paid to the terrible impact of loneliness and social isolation experienced by seriously ill patients. On the provider side, palliative clinicians often feel profoundly isolated from the traditional curative medical culture exclusively focused on diseases. Being alone and loneliness are different but related. Social isolation is the objective physical separation from other people while loneliness is the subjective distress feeling of being alone or separated. It's possible to feel lonely while among other people, and you can be alone yet not feel lonely. This session will provide an overview of loneliness and social isolation, use real-life patient narratives, and compare/contrast the experiences of palliative patients and providers. Using immersive learning techniques, we will identify three simple and practical strategies to mitigate “the most terrible poverty” (Mother Teresa) of loneliness.