by Paula Span, NY Times, February 12, 2016
This is an important article that serves as a great
introduction to Palliative Care. What
follows are some quote.
Palliative
care, focuses on relieving the discomfort and distress of serious illness, and
it differs from hospice. Many patients
and families know little about palliative care; it only became an approved
medical specialty in 2007.
Unlike
hospice, palliative care patients can use it at any point in an illness — many
will “graduate” as they recover — without forgoing curative treatment. Like hospice, however, it focuses on quality
of life, providing emotional and spiritual support for patients and families,
along with drugs and other remedies to ease symptoms. Its practitioners help
patients explore the complex medical decisions they often face, then document
their preferences.
It pays off for patients and families. In 2010, a randomized
trial of 151 patients with metastatic lung cancer at Massachusetts General
Hospital found that those who received early palliative care scored
significantly higher on quality of life measures than those receiving standard
care, and were less likely to suffer from depression. In spite of this, palliative care remains
underused.
References:
1. New Frontiers in Outpatient Palliative Care for Patients
With Cancer.
2. Implementation of an Interdisciplinary, Team-Based
Complex Care Support Health Care Model at an Academic Medical Center: Impact on
Health Care Utilization and Quality of Life.
Ritchie C. PLoS One. 2016 Feb
12;11(2):e0148096 Full
Free Text.
David thank you for all this helpful and important information. As a professional and family caregiver I have been in end of life situations often. I will follow and share your information as I do other important information on my blog palcaregivers. Really appreciate you time and effort to support us.
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