Letter: Bill supports biomarker testing
This letter originally ran in the Lincoln Journal Star.
News
Focusing on the Patient: Palliative Care Improves Quality of Life
June 30, 2009
There is no doubt that most patients and their loved ones want to be able to live well with their cancer whether that life lasts weeks, months, or years. Palliative care is the medical specialty that can help.
It focuses on improving quality of life for patients with serious illness and for their families through:
Îà Pain and symptom management;
Îà Communication and support to help patients and families make decisions about care and treatments;
Îà Assistance for making transitions between care settings, such as hospital discharge and chronic care planning.
People often think of palliative care as "end of life care." But itÈs not. Palliative care helps patients live better with their cancer by focusing on relieving symptoms and matching patientsÈ needs to medical treatments. Palliative care also provides care for families and caregivers all the way through the patientÈs life.
As the leading patient voice in the health care reform debate, ACS CAN is working to advance understanding about the importance of palliative care as an option to help drive improvements in quality that will deliver the right care at the right time for every patient. Quality heath care requires integrated delivery of pain and symptom management, care planning, and other aspects of palliative care that support quality of life alongside disease-directed treatment.
ACS CAN believes that palliative care programs are a promising and innovative model to reduce suffering, improve patient and family satisfaction, and reduce costs.
Submitted by Rebecca K, ACS CAN