The Value of Team-Oriented Palliative Care

The diagnosis of a serious, life-limiting illness always comes as a shock. Individuals may experience a wide range of strong emotions upon diagnosis, including fear, grief, loneliness, stress and anxiety, disbelief, and anger. While the process of coming to terms with and fighting serious illness can be one of the biggest challenges of a person’s life, team-oriented palliative care can provide comfort.

Rooted in compassion, palliative care is an area of medicine that focuses on providing relief for not only the physical symptoms of serious illness but also the emotional stress that often accompanies it. The ultimate goal is to improve a patient’s overall quality of life at any stage of illness through the collaborative efforts of professionals, the patient, and the patient’s family.

Team-oriented palliative care is typically administered by a group of professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including medicine, spirituality, and psychology. A team typically consists of doctors and nurses working in tandem with registered dietitians, social workers, psychologists, massage therapists, and spiritual representatives to improve a patient’s quality of life. 

Through the work of these professionals, patients receive medical treatment and may find relief from pain, disordered sleep, and stomach problems. The team may also guide patients through counseling sessions, locate support groups, facilitate family mediation, explain medical forms and treatment options, and arrange transportation or housing.

Studies show that the earlier a patient with a serious illness begins palliative care, the better the effects on his or her physical and mental health. According to a 2010 study of lung cancer patients, those who received palliative care in the early stages after diagnosis experienced less depression, enjoyed an improved quality of life, and lived almost three months longer than their counterparts.