Description

The interprofessional health care specialty of palliative care employs holistic evaluation and person-centered communication in the care of people with life-threatening illness. Palliative care clinicians are consulted for one or more of the following reasons: Symptom assessment and management Assistance with making difficult decisions about continued use or withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions Communication for planning the most appropriate care setting to meet person/family goals for end-of-life care Assessment of suitability and eligibility for hospice care This resource is a compilation of previously published documents and tools useful to palliative care clinicians in preparing for and conduction these consultations. In addition, it can be a reference for students and clinical trainees doing course work, analyzing case studies, or simulating clinical communication scenarios. The materials are indexed for easy retrieval, referenced to acknowledge sources and allow further exploration, and organized into the following categories: Palliative Care Definitions/Domains/Dimensions Communication Symptom Assessment Functional Status Evaluation Prognostication End-of-Life Assessment and Management Symptom Management Hospice Eligibility Criteria Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Interventions Pediatric End-of-Life Issues