Palliative Care in the Emergency Department

Area of Science:

• Emergency medicine
• Palliative care

Background:

• Patients frequently visit emergency departments (EDs) for symptom relief.
• EDs traditionally focus on acute illness treatment, not palliative care.
• Many patients with chronic or end-stage diseases utilize EDs annually.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential for EDs to integrate palliative interventions.
• To enhance the quality of life (QOL) for patients with serious illnesses receiving emergency care.

Main Methods:

• Review of current ED practices and palliative care principles.
• Analysis of opportunities for symptom management and end-of-life care within the ED setting.

Main Results:

• EDs are a site where palliative care principles can be applied.
• Interventions can address pain and exacerbations of chronic illness.
• Care can be tailored to improve QOL for patients nearing end of life.

Conclusions:

• Emergency departments can play a role in delivering palliative care.
• Integrating palliative interventions can improve patient QOL.
• This integration addresses a gap in care for chronically ill patients.