Palliative care is a widely misunderstood medical specialty, even among health care workers. Despite what many people think, it isn’t end-of-life care, according to a leading U.S. palliative care physician, Dr. Steve Pantilat.
In his book “Life After the Diagnosis,” Dr. Pantilat describes the specialty: “Palliative care is a distinct medical specialty that helps seriously ill people live as well as possible for as long as possible and helps relieve their pain, stress, and other symptoms.”