Transforming palliative care : transforming the care of serious illness

"Palliative Care is the first book to provide a comprehensive understanding of the new field that is transforming the way Americans deal with serious illness." "Diane E. Meier, M.D., one of the field's leaders and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation 'genius award' in 2009, opens the volume with a sweeping overview of the field. In her essay, Dr. Meier examines the roots of palliative care, explores the key legal and ethical issues, discusses the development of palliative care, and presents ideas on policies that can improve access to palliative care. Dr. Meier's essay is followed by reprints of twenty-five of the most important articles in the field. They range from classic pieces by some of the field's pioneers, such as Eric Cassel, Balfour Mount, and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, to influential newer articles on topics such as caregiving and cost savings of palliative care. The reprints cover a wide range of topics including: Why the care of the seriously ill is so important; Efforts to cope with advanced illness; Legal and ethical issues; Pain management; Cross-cultural issues; Philosophical perspective." "The demand for palliative care has been nothing short of stunning - largely because of palliative care's positive impact on both the quality and the cost of care provided to seriously ill individuals. By providing a wide-ranging perspective on this growing field, this book will serve as a guide for developing meaningful approaches that will lead to better health care for all Americans."--Jacket. Table of Contents: The development, status, and future of palliative care / Diane E. Meier Approaching death : improving care at the end of life / Marilyn J. Field and Christine K. Cassel, editors Decisions near the end of life / Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, American Medical Association Hope / Elisabeth Kubler-Ross The nature of suffering and the goals of medicine / Eric J. Cassell The nature of suffering and the goals of nursing / Betty R. Ferrell and Nessa Coyle Death : the distinguished thing / Daniel Callahan Access to hospice care : expanding boundaries, overcoming barriers / Bruce Jennings ... [et al.] The health care proxy and the living will / George J. Annas Terri Schiavo : a tragedy compounded / Timothy E. Quill A controlled trial to improve care for seriously ill hospitalized patients / the SUPPORT principal investigators Factors considered important at the end of life by patients, family, physicians, and other care providers / Karen E. Steinhauser ... [et al.] Use of hospitals, physician visits, and hospice care during last six months of life among cohorts loyal to highly respected hospitals in the United States / John E. Wennberg ... [et al.] Family perspectives on end-of-life care at the last place of care / Joan M. Teno ... [et al.] The treatment of cancer pain / Kathleen M. Foley Responding to intractable terminal suffering / Timothy E. Quill and Ira R. Byock Response to Quill and Byock, Responding to intractable terminal suffering / Daniel P. Sulmasy ... [et al.] Challenges in palliative care / Balfour M. Mount Outcomes from a national multispecialty palliative care curriculum development project / David E. Weissman ... [et al.] Negotiating cross-cultural issues at the end of life : you got to go where he lives / Marjorie Kagawa-Singer and Leslie J. Blackhall Variability in access to hospital palliative care in the United States / Benjamin Goldsmith ... [et al.] Do palliative consultations improve patient outcomes? / David Casarett ... [et al.] Cost savings associated with U.S. hospital palliative care consultation programs / R. Sean Morrison ... [et al.] The loneliness of the long-term care giver / Carol Levine Understanding economic and other burdens of terminal illness : the experience of patients and their caregivers / Ezekiel J. Emanuel ... [et al.] Finding our way / Stephen J. McPhee ... [et al.]

Palliative Care is the first book to provide a comprehensive understanding of the new field that is transforming the way Americans deal with serious illness.

Diane E. Meier, M.D., one of the field's leaders and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius award" in 2009, opens the volume with a sweeping overview of the field. In her essay, Dr. Meier examines the roots of palliative care, explores the key legal and ethical issues, discusses the development of palliative care, and presents ideas on policies that can improve access to palliative care.

Dr. Meier's essay is followed by reprints of twenty-five of the most important articles in the field. They range from classic pieces by some of the field's pioneers, such as Eric Cassel, Balfour Mount, and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, to influential newer articles on topics such as caregiving and cost savings of palliative care. The reprints cover a wide range of topics including:

• Why the care of the seriously ill is so important
  
  

• Efforts to cope with advanced illness
  
  

• Legal and ethical issues
  
  

• Pain management
  
  

• Cross-cultural issues
  
  

• Philosophical perspective
  
  

The demand for palliative care has been nothing short of stunning—largely because of palliative care's positive impact on both the quality and the cost of care provided to seriously ill individuals. By providing a wide-ranging perspective on this growing field, this book will serve as a guide for developing meaningful approaches that will lead to better health care for all Americans.

Palliative Care is the first book to provide a comprehensive understanding of the new field that is transforming the way Americans deal with serious illness.

Diane E. Meier, M.D., one of the field's leaders and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation genius award in 2009, opens the volume with a sweeping overview of the field. In her essay, Dr. Meier examines the roots of palliative care, explores the key legal and ethical issues, discusses the development of palliative care, and presents ideas on policies that can improve access to palliative care.

Dr. Meier's essay is followed by reprints of twenty-five of the most important articles in the field. They range from classic pieces by some of the field's pioneers, such as Eric Cassel, Balfour Mount, and Elizabeth KÃ1⁄4bler-Ross, to influential newer articles on topics such as caregiving and cost savings of palliative care. The reprints cover a wide range of topics including:

• Why the care of the seriously ill is so important
• Efforts to cope with advanced illness
• Legal and ethical issues
• Pain management
• Cross-cultural issues
• Philosophical perspective

The demand for palliative care has been nothing short of stunning-largely because of palliative care's positive impact on both the quality and the cost of care provided to seriously ill individuals. By providing a wide-ranging perspective on this growing field, this book will serve as a guide for developing meaningful approaches that will lead to better health care for all Americans.

Palliative Care is the first book to provide a comprehensive understanding of the new field that is transforming the way Americans deal with serious illness. Diane E. Meier, M.D., one of the field's leaders and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius award" in 2009, opens the volume with a sweeping overview of the field. In her essay, Dr. Meier examines the roots of palliative care, explores the key legal and ethical issues, discusses the development of palliative care, and presents ideas on policies that can improve access to palliative care. Dr. Meier's essay is followed by reprints of twenty-five of the most important articles in the field. They range from classic pieces by some of the field's pioneers, such as Eric Cassel, Balfour Mount, and Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, to influential newer articles on topics such as caregiving and cost savings of palliative care. The reprints cover a wide range of topics including: Why the care of the seriously ill is so important Efforts to cope with advanced illness Legal and ethical issues Pain management Cross-cultural issues Philosophical perspective The demand for palliative care has been nothing short of stunning--largely because of palliative care's positive impact on both the quality and the cost of care provided to seriously ill individuals. By providing a wide-ranging perspective on this growing field, this book will serve as a guide for developing meaningful approaches that will lead to better health care for all Americans.