Language
Country/Area
No result found
Did you know how palliative care can intervene early in the disease?
Palliative care (Palliative care) originates from the Latin word "palliare", which means "to put on a cloak". It aims to improve the quality of life and relieve the pain of patients facing major, complex or terminal diseases. According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), palliative care is an approach to improving the quality of life of patients and their families when facing life-threatening diseases, focusing on early identification and accurate assessment, treatment of pain and other physical, mental, social and spiritual question.
“Palliative care is not limited to end-of-life gurus, it is applicable to patients of all ages and with all serious illnesses, and can be the primary goal or in parallel with therapeutic care.”
Palliative care in the past was usually disease-centered, but now, WHO advocates a broader patient-centered strategy, so that the principles of palliative care should intervene in the early stages of chronic and ultimately fatal diseases. This change is important because simply following a disease-centered medical model often fails to fully meet the needs and preferences of patients and ignores aspects of care such as pain, quality of life, social support, and spiritual and emotional needs.
Palliative care providers are usually composed of multi-professional teams, including doctors, nurses, occupational therapists and mental health specialists. They lead the provision of such care in hospitals, outpatient clinics, nursing homes and home care settings.
“Today, approximately 40 million people require palliative care every year, but only 14% of them receive this type of care, mostly in high-income countries, making this area a focus of urgent attention.”
p>
Scope of palliative care
Palliative care can improve the quality of medical care in three main areas: physical and mental relief, enhanced communication and decision-making between doctors and patients, and coordinated continuity of care across a variety of medical settings. The overall goal is to improve the quality of life of patients with serious illness through pain and symptom management, coupled with identification and support of caregiver needs.
Unlike traditional end-of-life care, palliative care can be used in conjunction with other treatments at any stage of the disease, and was originally targeted at patients with incurable cancer but is now applicable to other categories of disease, including heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lung disease, etc.
"Research shows that early intervention in palliative care not only improves quality of life, but also reduces the financial burden on practitioners and improves families' satisfaction with care."
The difference between palliative care and hospice care
In the United States, hospice care is relatively clearly defined and is mainly used for patients who are certified to have only six months left to live, and its services are mainly for comfort and spiritual support. Therefore, hospice patients generally forego therapeutic therapies, unlike those who receive palliative care. In other parts of the world, however, hospice care is often viewed as a service provided by a specific institution rather than as an independent treatment strategy.
As society's understanding of health care gradually deepens, more and more people are beginning to understand that palliative care is not limited to the end of life. In fact, for many patients with chronic illnesses, this form of medical care can significantly improve the quality of life.
The history of palliative care
The concept of palliative care originated from the hospice movement, which included Holy Christian Hospital founded by Dame Cicely Saunders and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Published book Death and Dying. The term "palliative care" was first used by Balfour Mount in 1974, and the field has since taken shape as research and practice have grown.
“Research shows that in-hospital palliative care consulting teams not only improve patients’ quality of life but also reduce overall costs to the healthcare system.”
Although more and more hospitals in China have begun to set up palliative care teams, the popularity of this system is still low in some rural areas. As the United States has officially included hospice and palliative care in specialty certification since 2006, the development of this field has received more attention.
The practice of palliative care
In palliative care, providing pain management to patients is key. This usually involves the use of some common medications, tailored to the patient's specific condition. Medications are often administered through different routes, including subcutaneous, sublingual, and transdermal routes, to meet the needs of different patients.
In summary, the core of palliative care is an integrated approach to the physical and mental suffering faced by patients. With the help of a professional medical team, as well as timely assessment and adjustment strategies, the goal is to ultimately improve the patient's quality of life. For caregivers and for patients who are dying, this form of caring may best bring true peace and comfort. Have you ever wondered how we can further promote the concept of palliative care in the future medical environment?
