Expanding Palliative Care Access—Bridging Gaps in Diverse Clinical Settings

Palliative care has become standard in many inpatient settings, with about three-quarters of US hospitals currently offering such services. Although early integration of palliative care can yield substantial benefits for patients and their caregivers (eg, enhanced quality of life, psychological well-being, improved coping), the optimal timing and best clinical settings for initiating palliative care are not yet established.