Palliative medicine - Definition and principles

Since the earliest days of medicine, relieving pain and accompanying the si ck have been among the most important roles of physicians. However, with th e increasing possibilities of curing disease, these important aspects of me dical practice were neglected. The 1990's were characterized by increasingl y dynamic developments in the area of palliative medicine that once again e mphasized these aspects of medical care. At present, palliative medicine is recognized as an important aspect of medical care even by those who might have thought it unnecessary a few years ago. The present work offers a review of the situation of palliative medicine in Germany and describes the various organizational forms of palliative medic ine and attempts to demonstrate the differences and similarities between th em.