[Early Integration of Palliative Care - A Definition for Daily Practice]

Early Integration of Palliative Care - A Definition for Daily Practice Abstract. The integration of palliative care into the treatment of patients with chronically progressive or incurable diseases can be useful early in the course of the disease. The integrative approach of disease-specific and palliative therapy can improve the quality of life of those affected. Different aspects, such as symptom relief, decision making, advance planning, network building or support for relatives can be addressed from the bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective. The article gives an overview of the most important aspects of early integration of palliative care and shows, also with actual case reports, how integration can be managed in practice.