Misunderstanding of
Palliative Care Leads to Preventable Suffering
A
new review says palliative care's association with end of life has created an
"identity problem" that means the majority of patients facing a
serious illness do not benefit from treatment of the physical and psychological
symptoms that occur throughout their disease.
The editorial is co-authored by
palliative care experts at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General
Hospital, the American Cancer Society, and Johns Hopkins University, and
appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The authors say
palliative care should be initiated at the same time as standard medical care
for patients with serious illnesses, and not brought up only after treatment
has failed.
While both are intended to relieve suffering,
hospice care provides care for people in the last phases of an incurable disease
so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible. Palliative care
focuses on helping patients get relief from symptoms caused by serious illness
and is appropriate at any age or stage in a serious illness. (For more
information, see: "Palliative Care" on cancer.org.)
Adding
to that is the fact that debates over "death panels,"
physician-assisted suicide, and other factors have made policymakers reluctant
to devote resources to initiatives perceived to be associated with death and
dying. The authors point to lower levels of government funding for palliative
care research compared to funding for other specialties.
"The
practice and policy behind palliative care must be considered independently
from end-of-life care," write the authors. "Palliative care should no
longer be reserved exclusively for those who have exhausted options for
life-prolonging therapies."
The
editorial presents clinical, economic, and political cases to show the value of
earlier palliative care, and use them to propose initial priorities for
clinicians and policymakers to integrate early palliative care into practice.
The authors say implementing earlier palliative care would not only improve
quality of life, but would also reduce spending and help patients with advanced
cancer clarify their treatment preferences. And evidence shows patients who are
given palliative care early on even have better outcomes.
Story Source:
The
above story is based on materials provided
by American Cancer
Society.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further
information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
1.
Ravi B. Parikh, A.B.,
Rebecca A. Kirch, J.D., Thomas J. Smith, M.D., and Jennifer S. Temel, M.D. Early
Specialty Palliative Care -- Translating Data in Oncology into Practice. N
Engl J Med, 2013;369:2347-51
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one
of the following formats:
APA
MLA
MLA
American Cancer Society (2013, December 13). Misunderstanding of
palliative care leads to preventable suffering. Science Daily. Retrieved December
14, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131213135429.htm
