Palliative care is the active total care of patients whose disease or symptoms may not respond to curative treatment.

The goal of palliative care is to prevent and relieve suffering and to support the best quality of life for patients and their families, regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other therapies.

Interdisciplinary Care

At Duke, palliative care is provided by an interdisciplinary team. The team aims to:

• Control pain and other physical symptoms
• Alleviate psychological, social, and spiritual suffering
• Achieve the best possible quality of life for patients
• Support patients’ families as they accompany them through severe illness or the process of dying

Increasing evidence suggests that palliative care improves both the quality and the cost-effectiveness of health care provided to patients at the end of life.

The provision of palliative care is recognized as a standard required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals, and is used as a criterion for rankings of excellence by U.S. News & World Report.