The growth of palliative care

Palliative care specialists focus on meeting the needs of patients with serious and/or life-threatening illnesses. These physicians have expertise in managing complex pain and nonpain symptoms, providing psychosocial and spiritual support to patients and their families, and communicating about complex topics and advance care planning. The American Board of Medical Specialties has allowed 10 of its member boards to co-sponsor certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Thus, physicians from specialties ranging from pediatrics to surgery now practice hospice and palliative medicine. At the core of this field, however, are physicians who trained as internists and are boarded by the American Board of Internal Medicine. This article discusses the central principles of palliative care and explores its growth in two areas: oncology and critical care medicine.