Area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing suffering
Palliative nedicine physician
Occupation
Occupation type
Specialty
Activity sectors
Medicine
Description
Education required
Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (e.g. MBBS or MBChB)
UK: Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (4 years full-time)
(US only) Doctor of Osteopathic medicine (D.O.)
Fields of employment
Hospitals, clinics
Palliative care (derived from the Latin root palliare, or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality of life and mitigating suffering among people with serious, complex, and often terminal illnesses.[1] Within the published literature, many definitions of palliative care exist. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes palliative care as "an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain, illnesses including other problems whether physical, psychosocial, and spiritual".[2] In the past, palliative care was a disease specific approach, but today the WHO takes a broader patient-centered approach that suggests that the principles of palliative care should be applied as early as possible to any chronic and ultimately fatal illness.[3] This shift was important because if a disease-oriented approach is followed, the needs and preferences of the patient are not fully met and aspects of care, such as pain, quality of life, and social support, as well as spiritual and emotional needs, fail to be addressed. Rather, a patient-centered model prioritizes relief of suffering and tailors care to increase the quality of life for terminally ill patients.[4]
Palliative care is appropriate for individuals with serious illnesses across the age spectrum and can be provided as the main goal of care or in tandem with curative treatment. It is provided by an interdisciplinary team which can include physicians, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, chaplains, and dietitians. Palliative care can be provided in a variety of contexts, including hospitals, outpatient, skilled-nursing, and home settings. Although an important part of end-of-life care, palliative care is not limited to individuals near the end of life.[1]
Evidence supports the efficacy of a palliative care approach in improvement of a person's quality of life.[5][6] Palliative care's main focus is to improve the quality of life for those with chronic illnesses. It is commonly the case that palliative care is provided at the end of life, but it can be helpful for a person of any stage of illness that is critical or any age.[7]
^ abZhukovsky D (2019). Primer of Palliative Care. American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. ISBN 978-1-889296-08-1.
^"WHO Definition of Palliative Care". WHO. Archived from the original on 4 October 2003. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
^Sepúlveda C, Marlin A, Yoshida T, Ullrich A (August 2002). "Palliative Care: the World Health Organization's global perspective". Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 24 (2): 91–96. doi:10.1016/S0885-3924(02)00440-2. PMID 12231124.
^Khosla D, Patel FD, Sharma SC (September 2012). "Palliative care in India: current progress and future needs". Indian Journal of Palliative Care. 18 (3): 149–154. doi:10.4103/0973-1075.105683. PMC 3573467. PMID 23439559.
^Kavalieratos D, Corbelli J, Zhang D, Dionne-Odom JN, Ernecoff NC, Hanmer J, et al. (November 2016). "Association Between Palliative Care and Patient and Caregiver Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis". JAMA. 316 (20): 2104–2114. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.16840. PMC 5226373. PMID 27893131.
^Hoerger M, Wayser GR, Schwing G, Suzuki A, Perry LM (June 2019). "Impact of Interdisciplinary Outpatient Specialty Palliative Care on Survival and Quality of Life in Adults With Advanced Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials". Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 53 (7): 674–685. doi:10.1093/abm/kay077. PMC 6546936. PMID 30265282.
^"What is Palliative Care? | Definition of Palliative Care | Get Palliative Care". Archived from the original on 5 July 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
Palliativecare (derived from the Latin root palliare, or 'to cloak') is an interdisciplinary medical caregiving approach aimed at optimizing quality...
other palliativecare needs. Hospice care includes assistance for patients' families to help them cope with what is happening and provide care and support...
In medicine, specifically in end-of-life care, palliative sedation (also known as terminal sedation, continuous deep sedation, or sedation for intractable...
ISBN 0880487569. Bruera, Eduardo; Portenoy, Russell K., eds. (1997). Topics in PalliativeCare. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 317. ISBN 0195102452. Volandes...
specifically to care in the final months or weeks of life. End-of-life care is more likely to be included in the general term "palliativecare". The first...
diagnosis. Examples include caregiving, continued treatment, palliative and hospice care, and physician-assisted suicide. Decisions regarding management...
after successful treatment Palliativecare of patients with terminal malignancies Ethical questions surrounding cancer care Screening efforts: of populations...
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amenable for treatment through palliativecare. Because the disease is not curable without a transplant, palliativecare can also help with discussions...
availability of pediatric palliativecare lead to improved palliativecare outcomes in children with cancer?". Journal of Palliative Medicine. 16 (9): 1034–1039...
often rapid in onset, short in duration, and severe in intensity. In palliativecare, transdermal fentanyl patches have a definitive, but limited role for:...
targeted therapy. Pain and symptom management are an important part of care. Palliativecare is particularly important in people with advanced disease. The chance...
2021-09-13. American Academy of Hospice & Palliative Medicine International Association for Hospice & PalliativeCare Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association...
early palliativecare for people with advanced multiple myeloma at the time of diagnosis and for anyone who has significant symptoms. Palliativecare is...
second-line chemotherapeutics docetaxel and ramucirumab. Integrating palliativecare (medical care focused on improving symptoms and lessening discomfort) into...
optimal palliativecare in older people with dementia: a Delphi study and recommendations from the European Association for PalliativeCare". Palliative Medicine...
harmful to be taken orally. Syringe drivers are particularly useful in palliativecare, to continuously administer analgesics (painkillers), antiemetics (medication...
Surgery (10th ed.) (2015) Feig, B.W. Principles of palliative surgery, in Handbook of advanced cancer care, B.M. Fisch and E.D. Bruera, Editors. 2003, Cambridge...
The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP) was a care pathway in the United Kingdom (excluding Wales) covering palliativecare options for patients...
after lung transplantation in IPF are estimated at between 50 and 56%. Palliativecare focuses on reducing symptoms and improving the comfort of patients...
outcomes. Palliativecare is recommended for any person who has advanced colon cancer or who has significant symptoms. Involvement of palliativecare may be...
Primer of PalliativeCare. American Association of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. ISBN 9781889296081. "WHO | WHO Definition of PalliativeCare". WHO. Archived...
In most cases, thanatology is not specifically related to palliativecare and end-of-life care, which aim to provide treatment for dying individuals and...
don't have the best elderly care and palliativecare yet… So let's talk about making sure we have the best end-of-life care before we start talking about...
percent of MAID recipients received palliativecare and of the MAID recipients who did not receive palliativecare 87.5% had access, a level similar to...
The following is a list of hospitals, hospital support services and palliativecare centres in Western Australia. Medical facilities in Western Australia...
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