Health that all curative treatment must cease. Many studies have concluded that the early introduction of palliative care in cancer treatment improved symptoms and health. It also improved quality of life. Palliative care aids in the decisionmaking process for patients and their loved ones. Think about it this way . . . Palliative care can add more days to a patient’s life and more life to a patient’s days. It provides higher quality care for patients and caregivers. An important reminder from Alexis Carrel, a French surgeon who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1912 for pioneering vascular suturing techniques - “The quality of life is more important than life itself” Yogesh Shah, M.P.H., M.D., FAAFP Director, Palliative Care Services Geriatric Medicine and Memory Center Broadlawns Medical Center Member, PatientCentered Health Advisory Council, IDPH April 2019 The URBAN EXPERIENCE 43
44 Publizr Home