Palliative Care in the Emergency Department

Patients seek care in the emergency department (ED) for immediate relief of pain or other symptoms. Emergency physicians are trained to provide care that focuses on disease-directed treatment of acute illnesses; the ED is not considered an entry point for palliative care. Despite this, many patients with chronic or end-stage diseases seek treatment in the ED each year. Improving quality of life (QOL) is an overarching principle of palliative care. The ED is poised to improve patients' QOL by providing palliative interventions to manage pain and exacerbations of chronic illnesses or care near the end of life.