Oncologists improve quality of care for cancer patients

Categories: Research.

As reported on Medical Express, 10/29/2013:

According to Kerin Adelson, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology, and Medical Oncology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and lead investigator on the initiative, palliative care services are often underutilized for cancer patients, even at hospitals such as Mount Sinai that have well-established palliative care programs.

“Oncologists often equate palliative care with end-of-life care; to many, calling in a palliative care specialist is an admission of defeat,” said Dr. Adelson. “However, failure to identify patients who could most benefit from palliative care often results in inadequate pain control, emotional distress for patients and caregivers, and overuse of aggressive medical interventions. By increasing access to palliative care services, we hoped to help patients clarify their own treatment goals and, in turn, align our clinical goals with those of our patients.”