Sometimes Treating Pain Is As Important As Treating Disease

Pallative care is pain management when you are going through a significant illness. Once reserved for hospice patients with Medicare beneficiaries needing to sign off any further treatment for their illnesses before receiving pallative care. Pallative care is now in 75% of all hospitals with a 7000 doctors that have went through training. Pallative care is not just end of life care any longer but quality of life care. Many health insurances now recognize and pay benefits for it as well. Quality life while fighting for ones life has become one of the medical teams goal as well. It can also save money in the long term by keeping patients out of the hospital.

Key Takeaways:

Palliative care is about the managing of pain and improving the quality of life, not treating the disease itself.
Although often associated with end of life treatment, palliative care also has benefits for others with illness.
While palliative care programs are increasingly common – 75% of hospitals have one -they still fail to keep up with demand.

“Although it would likely “turn off” the pain, she learned, it would also cause weeks of severe side effects, including nausea, loss of appetite, skin burning and fatigue.”