Palliative care in neurology: An overview Journal Article
| Authors: | Foley, K. M.; Carver, A. C. |
| Article Title: | Palliative care in neurology: An overview |
| Abstract: | In summary, there is a consensus that education in palliative care needs to be integrated at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education levels, and new initiatives and model programs are underway in medical schools, residency, fellowship, and faculty development programs. For example, the Veterans Administration Healthcare System supports a broad faculty development program in end-of-life care and funds fellowships in palliative care. Also, to further develop palliative care expertise and practice by neurologists, an ALS Working Group on End-of-Life Care supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is creating guidelines and practical assessment tools for neurologists who care for patients with ALS and other neuromuscular diseases. An International Working Group in Palliative Care in Neurology has formed and is developing a core curriculum for neurologists. New texts such as "Palliative Care in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" and "Hospice Care for Patients with Advanced Progressive Dementia" serve as model monographs to educate health-care professionals, and specifically neurologists, in a comprehensive approach for patients with these progressive, incurable neurologic diseases. Despite these efforts, nothing would have a greater impact on providing palliative care to patients with neurologic disease now than instituting current knowledge. Within this issues, articles provide disease-specific palliative care discussions about patients with brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, ALS, stroke, dementia, and Huntington's disease written by experienced clinical neurologists whose programs emphasize the importance of a comprehensive palliative care approach. Also included are articles specifically addressing palliative care domains common to all patients who are seriously and incurably ill, including symptom assessment and control, psychiatric issues, ethical and legal concerns, and the specific need to address the uniqueness of caring for the dying. As is evidenced by the unavoidable repetition in such a text, patients requiring palliative care share common symptoms and can benefit from common management approaches. It is this very observation that makes us enthusiastic about our goal that palliative care education can have a broad impact on the care of patients with neurologic disease over the course of their illness. The expanding role of neurologists in therapeutics, the enormous strides in the ability to improve patients' quality of life through symptom control, and the management of psychosocial distress provide the opportunity to better care for the chronically ill and to enhance the quality of living for the dying. |
| Keywords: | review; brain tumor; palliative care; palliative therapy; patient care; death; medical education; curriculum; stroke; dementia; distress syndrome; medical specialist; health care system; continuing education; multiple sclerosis; neurologic disease; dying; education program; residency education; neurology; postgraduate education; huntington chorea; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; humans; human; priority journal |
| Journal Title: | Neurologic Clinics |
| Volume: | 19 |
| Issue: | 4 |
| ISSN: | 0733-8619 |
| Publisher: | W.B. Saunders Co-Elsevier Inc. |
| Date Published: | 2001-11-01 |
| Start Page: | 789 |
| End Page: | 799 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s0733-8619(05)70047-5 |
| PUBMED: | 11854100 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Export Date: 21 May 2015 -- Source: Scopus |
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