Supportive care pathway comforts the terminally ill

The supportive care pathway at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham, AL, is a different kind of pathway, de-emphasizing length of stay in favor of streamlining the care of terminally ill patients. The path differs from traditional pathway efforts in four respects: lack of tests and interventions, focus on both the patient and the family, utilization of phases of the dying process rather than days or hours, and a focus on the psychosocial, spiritual, and emotional aspects of care for the patient and family. The three phases of the pathway are admission (decision is made for palliative care), transition (symptom management), and terminal (peaceful death).