Withholding and Withdrawing Potentially Life-Sustaining Treatment Richard J. Ackermann “I will define what I conceive medicine to be: In general terms, it is to do away with the suffering of…
Advance Directives and Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity Linda L. Emanuel Many oncology patients would like to have some control over their medical care, not only when they are alert but…
Staff Stress and Burnout Mary L.S. Vachon Christopher Sherwood Stress in the care of the dying has been being studied for more than 30 years (1, 2). Recent research (3,…
Starting a Palliative Care Program Hannah I. Lipman Diane E. Meier Introduction: Why Palliative Care? The Case for Palliative Care Palliative care is comprehensive medical care focused on relieving the…
Bereavement Care Areej Raed El-Jawahri Holly G. Prigerson Bereavement Bereavement refers to the situation of losing to death a person to whom one is attached. Grief refers to the emotional…
Spirituality Christina M. Puchalski Dying is a normal part of life. In today’s society, however, dying is still treated as an illness. All too often, people die in hospitals or…
Management of Symptoms in the Actively Dying Patient Paul Rousseau The obligation of physicians to relieve suffering is universal, particularly when death is imminent and the indignities of illness consume…
Home Care and Caregivers Betty R. Ferrell Barbara J. Whitlatch Intensive Care of Home Care Since the mid-1980s, there has been a major shift in home health care. In the…
Disorders of Sexuality and Reproduction Ursula S. Ofman As the effectiveness of medical treatment of cancer patients has improved a great deal during the past decades, quality of life outcomes…
Psychosocial Consequences of Advanced Cancer James R. Zabora Matthew J. Loscalzo All psychosocial care is palliative in nature. Attention must be directed at the realities of one’s life within their…
