U.S News writes: Consultations that focus on improving quality of life, managing pain and defining goals at the outset of treatment for patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses can result in shorter hospital stays and lower costs, a new study concludes. A meta-analysis published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine examined 130,000 patients from six previously conducted studies on palliative care, which is defined in the study as “an interdisciplinary specialty focused on improving quality of life for seriously ill patients and their families through symptom management, communication and patient autonomy.”
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