Palliative Care: A Novel Solution to the Healthcare Crisis

Palliative care is specialized healthcare for anyone who is diagnosed with a serious and life-threatening illness, starting when they get the diagnosis, regardless of the prognosis. Although hospice is a form of palliative care, most palliative care is not end-of-life care or hospice, a common misperception that deters many people from using palliative care when they would benefit from it. Palliative care improves quality of care, reduces hospital costs, and helps clinicians address the needs and wants of patients and their families, which is why I refer to it as a 'novel' solution to the longstanding healthcare crisis.