- Use straightforward language when describing palliative care, ideally using language tested and approved by the public.[1,2]
- Avoid conflating palliative care with end-of-life care or hospice.[1,2]
- The term "serious illness" was specifically preferred over terms like "advanced illness" and "life-limiting illness."[2] Recommended phrasing emphasizes living, as in "living with serious illness" (instead of "having" or "dying from").
| - Recommended patient-centered definition:[1,2]
- Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illness. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
- Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work with a patient's other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative treatment.
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