ADVANCES IN HOSPICE CARE

Hospice care developed in part as a reaction to the impersonal and tec hnology-dependent end-of-life care offered by modern medicine. Unique approaches to care that emphasize interdisciplinary team management of troublesome symptoms and the promotion of quality of life as defined by the patient, are finding their way into all aspects of health care. Symptom control measures have expanded to include chemotherapy, radia tion therapy, and multimodal therapies. Both the development of a uniq ue knowledge base and advances in research have fostered the integrati on of hospice and palliative care into mainstream medicine.