There's a flurry of articles today (see here and here for a couple of examples) about the benefits of palliative care. We've had palliative care teams at our hospitals for many years because we believe it is a method of treatment that respects the dignity of individuals suffering from chronic or life-threatening illnesses.
At its core, palliative care is about respecting the wishes of patients and families. Previously, the standard course of care for patients suffering from a terminal illness called for aggressive treatment up front, and then, when the resources of modern medicine had been exhausted, palliative care (also called comfort care) would begin.
Today, our caregivers work collaboratively with patients and families to give people suffering from serious illnesses a voice in their care and clear, ongoing communication with their physicians and other health care providers about what to expect.
Providers at our hospitals are guided by the following principles:
- Respect the wishes of the patient: There is no obligation for any patient to begin or continue life-sustaining treatment, if from the patient's perspective it is an excessive burden. An individual's decision to refrain from treatment will be respected even when such a decision may result in the person's death.
- Effective pain management: Health care must be a community of respect, love, and support for patients and their families as they face the reality of death. Pain management will be of the highest quality and is critical in allowing a person to die comfortably and with dignity.
The charge of medicine is to care even when it cannot cure. At CHW hospitals, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, chaplains, nutritionists, and many others work together to determine the appropriate use of drug and non-drug interventions for the relief of pain and symptom management. Providing quality care to dying and seriously ill patients is an important issue for us and we are advocating for public policies and programs that will improve palliative care.
Comments