Palliative Care

The Palliative Care topic includes research on care that is focused on improving quality of life for people with serious illness by preventing or treating symptoms and side effects of the illness, rather than curing a disease or condition.

Patients may receive palliative care in the hospital, an outpatient clinic, a long-term care facility, or at home under the direction of a licensed health care provider. Anyone can receive palliative care regardless of their age or stage of disease. It can be provided during curative care as well. Research shows that palliative care and its many components are beneficial to patient and family health and well-being. For example, some studies have shown that integrating palliative care into a patient’s usual cancer care soon after a diagnosis of advanced cancer can improve their quality of life and mood and may even prolong survival.