Understanding Palliative Care and Hospice: A Review for Primary Care Providers

Mary K Buss; Laura K Rock; Ellen P McCarthy

doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.11.007

Understanding Palliative Care and Hospice: A Review for Primary Care Providers

Mayo Clin Proc. 2017 Feb;92(2):280-286. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.11.007.

Authors

Mary K Buss¹, Laura K Rock², Ellen P McCarthy³

Affiliations

¹ Section of Palliative Care, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
³ Research Section, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

PMID: 28160875
DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.11.007

Abstract

Palliative care provides invaluable clinical management and support for patients and their families. For most people, palliative care is not provided by hospice and palliative medicine specialists, but rather by their primary care providers. The recognition of hospice and palliative medicine as its own medical subspecialty in 2006 highlighted the importance of palliative care to the practice of medicine, yet many health care professionals harbor misconceptions about palliative care, which may be a barrier to ensuring that the palliative care needs of their patients are identified and met in a timely fashion. When physicians discuss end-of-life concerns proactively, many patients choose more comfort-focused care and receive care more aligned with their values and goals. This article defines palliative care, describes how it differs from hospice, debunks some common myths associated with hospice and palliative care, and offers suggestions on how primary care providers can integrate palliative care into their practice.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Advance Care Planning / standards*
Communication
Critical Illness
Decision Making
Hospice Care / economics
Hospice Care / methods
Hospice Care / standards*
Humans
Medicare / economics
Medicare / standards
Palliative Care / methods
Palliative Care / standards*
Patient Care Team / organization & administration
Patient Care Team / standards
Physician-Patient Relations
Primary Health Care / methods
Primary Health Care / standards*
Prognosis
Quality of Life*
Terminally Ill / psychology*
United States