Early Palliative Care Can Lessen Hospital Stays, Improve Well-Being

It is never too early for a patient diagnosed with mesothelioma — or most any cancer — to start consulting with a palliative care specialist, according to a recent study. The message from researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston: The sooner, the better. Results from the study show early palliative care referrals and outpatient referrals were associated with fewer hospitalizations, emergency room visits, intensive-care admissions and hospital deaths compared to those on an inpatient basis. Palliative care focuses on pain relief, symptom reduction and quality of life improvement, and it’s usually recommended for patients with a poor diagnosis or a late-stage cancer. David Hui, M.D., oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center and one of the study’s authors, told Asbestos.com that palliative care is often neglected or delayed, unnecessarily depriving cancer patients of valuable and available resources, researchers said. "Earlier palliative care is generally a good thing," said Hui, who is also one of the nation's leaders in palliative care research. "There is more and more evidence to support the need for it, and the benefits that come from it." Study Revealed Significant Differences Researchers published the study titled, “Early outpatient referral to palliative care services improves end-of-life care,” in the July/August edition of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The study included 366 patients in the Houston area who died of ...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Research & Clinical Trials Source Type: news