Case studies: palliative care in Vital Signs 2014: The State of Safety and Quality in Australian Health Care

Authors

Kathy Eagar, University of WollongongFollow
David C. Currow, Flinders University, Cancer Institute New South Wales
Patsy Yates, Queensland University of Technology
Claire Johnson, University of Western Australia
Samuel F. Allingham, University of WollongongFollow
Karen Quinsey, University of WollongongFollow
Sabina P. Clapham, University of WollongongFollow

RIS ID

94754

Publication Details

K. Eagar, D. Currow, P. Yates, C. Johnson, S. Allingham, K. Quinsey & S. Clapham, Case studies: palliative care in Vital Signs 2014: The State of Safety and Quality in Australian Health Care (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, Sydney, Australia, 2014). http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Vital-Signs-2014-web.pdf

Link to publisher version (URL)

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Abstract

Palliative care is a vital component of Australia's healthcare services, and is provided to those living with a life‑threatening illness, whether they are adults, adolescents or children. The aim of palliative care is to improve a person's quality of life by managing the symptoms of their illness and providing emotional, spiritual and social support for the person and their family or carers. Unlike other areas in health care, palliative care focuses on addressing the patient's needs rather than the underlying medical diagnosis (see the box on the right).