Written by: Sesa Doshi
Edited by: Vaidehi Jha
Palliative treatment is a specialized form of medical care that focuses on relieving symptoms and pain from a severe illness or treatment side effects to improve the quality of life of the patient. This holistic approach can be utilized during any stage of an illness to increase their comfort even if they may not be able to be cured. Palliative treatment is typically administered by a team of doctors, professionals, and nurses that can work with the patient and their families to support ongoing treatment or care. It can help patients with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, heart diseases, Parkinson's disease, dementia, stroke, bone (and marrow) disorders, etc. The approaches to palliative care are diverse and can help improve the lives of patients and families of those suffering.
Deviating from looking at illnesses as a general umbrella, symptoms can be further explored and acknowledged as there is overlap between diseases. Symptoms that palliative care can help improve or alleviate are pain, anxiety, constipation, nausea, anorexia, breathing difficulties, and insomnia. In order to improve the life of a patient, it is essential to alleviate some of the multidimensional pain and discomfort they feel through symptom management.
Something to be mindful of is that the goals of palliative care diverge from typical medicinal practices in the sense that the patient is looked at as a whole and their physical, as well as social, psychological, and spiritual issues, are acknowledged. Specialists use well-rounded approaches to try and tackle all their symptoms, even if they are not just focused on the physical medicinal aspects. This can lead to a likelier feeling of satisfaction within patients and their needs prioritized for their emotional well-being.
There are several techniques to support and administer palliative care to patients. The first would be symptom management where a care plan is devised in order to address the symptoms that the patient is enduring and attempt to improve and comfort them. The team of palliative care specialists would also be available to answer questions the patient may have and put them at ease mentally about how to deal with their symptoms and pain currently and what the next steps in the plan would be. The second would be support and advice. Palliative care services also tend to include different ways for patients to seek support or advice regarding their treatment or illness and how to approach the difficult decisions to come regarding medical plans and the end of life. This would include a palliative care social worker or team member that can answer questions or indulge in a conversation about stresses, financial concerns, grief, and even spiritual questions that the patient or family may have. They may also assist in the form of resources or guidance. This also includes advanced care planning where a palliative care member can talk about certain legalities to keep in mind such as creating a living will, a directive for advancing in the patient’s care, as well as a health care power of attorney. Additionally, care techniques such as breathing techniques, music, and visualization can be applied for a soothing and relaxing experience to alleviate stress. Lastly, referrals are also something that can be done to branch out connections to experts and professionals while coordinating with the patient’s current doctors for the establishment of care that is well-coordinated.
Palliative care is a topic that is not as well-known as typical treatments in the medical field. Thus, in order to integrate it better into our healthcare system and lives, several steps can be taken. One of these is to adopt better policies and social norms that allow for the inclusion of palliative care in laws pertaining to healthcare, health programs (nationally and internationally), and national health budgets of respective countries. This is particularly crucial for underprivileged groups that may not have the financial capacity to integrate palliative care into their lives, resulting in painful experiences for the terminally or highly ill. To make palliative care more accessible, insurance plans should also integrate it as a part of healthcare programs and provide partial coverage, at the very least, for care and relevant technologies or medicines that could aid in symptom or pain relief.
Education is integral to informing the public and the world about palliative care. Programs in communities and hospitals should have a learning module so that any staff has the ability to provide information and such treatment and access to resources is uniform and standardized in medical practice for specialist teams, consultations, referrals, etc. Taking this a step further, the teaching of palliative care can be expanded by involving academia through universities and teaching hospitals.
REFERENCES
Cancer Research UK. (2021, November 11). Palliative treatment. Palliative treatment for cancer | Cancer Research UK. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/palliative#:~:text=The%20aim%20of%20palliative%20treatment,if%20they%20cannot%20be%20cured.
Doyle, D. (2021). What is Palliative Care - International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care. IAHPC. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://hospicecare.com/what-we-do/publications/getting-started/what-is-palliative-care/
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017, August 15). Palliative care. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved June 16, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/palliative-care/about/pac-20384637
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