Overview of palliative care and non-pain symptom management

Abstract

Upon completion of the chapter, the student will be able to: 1. Define palliative care and differentiate it from hospice care. 2. Enumerate and understand the general rules of good doctor-patient communication including communicating bad news and advance care planning. 3. Identify and treat nonpain symptoms including dyspnea, cough, nausea and vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, bowel obstruction, mouth symptoms, skin symptoms, odor, and spiritual distress. 4. Understand the Medicare hospice benefit. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.