The changing role of palliative care in the ICU.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Palliative care is an interprofessional specialty as well as an approach to care by all clinicians caring for patients with serious and complex illness. Unlike hospice, palliative care is based not on prognosis but on need and is an essential component of comprehensive care for critically ill patients from the time of ICU admission. In this clinically focused article, we review evidence of opportunities to improve palliative care for critically ill adults, summarize strategies for ICU palliative care improvement, and identify resources to support implementation.

Data sources

We searched the MEDLINE database from inception through January 2014. We also searched the Reference Library of The Improving Palliative Care in the ICU Project website sponsored by the Nation

SUBMITTER: Aslakson RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4695994 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature