Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Jimmy Carter brings attention to hospice care: the compassionate side of modern medicine

Saurabh Gupta, MD
Conditions
February 20, 2023
227 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

The recent decision by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to transition to hospice brings much-needed attention to this crucial part of health care. Hospice care is an essential and compassionate component of modern medicine, providing support and care to patients and families during the most challenging time of their lives. Historically, hospice care has been long stigmatized as giving up on treatment. However, the truth is the opposite. Hospice provides comfort and support at the end of their lives (typically defined as expected survival of <6 months). When patients begin hospice care, the focus shifts to managing symptoms, emotional support, and spiritual care to alleviate the physical, emotional, and spiritual pain that often accompanies a terminal illness.

Hospice providers work with patients and families to develop individualized care plans that address their needs and preferences. However, it is essential to note that there are only two reasons to perform a procedure – to make someone live longer or to make them live better. Hospice care can complement procedural medicine by focusing on the latter, aiming to improve the patient’s quality of life and alleviate suffering. Hospice care providers work closely with medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and social workers, to ensure that patients receive comprehensive medical care. Working together can offer various services, including pain management, symptom relief, and emotional support. Hospice care is provided in multiple settings, such as the patient’s home, a hospice facility, or a hospital.

The teachings from the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient text of Hinduism, offer guidance on approaching the end-of-life journey. The Gita emphasizes focusing on the present and detaching from material desires. This perspective can help individuals and their families navigate the end-of-life journey with peace and acceptance. Perhaps more than all other disciplines of medicine, there is now increasing recognition that hospice care can help patients navigate the intersection of science and spirituality.

Although hospice care has been politicized as “death panels,” it is not a death sentence. Instead, hospice is a component of modern medicine that provides support and care to patients and their families during difficult times. Hospice care providers understand the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of facing a terminal illness. Furthermore, by working closely with procedural medicine, hospice care can provide a more comprehensive, patient-centered approach, improving the patient’s quality of life and providing the best possible support.

Saurabh Gupta is an interventional cardiologist.

Prev

Breaking the stigma: Making HIV and COVID screening routine in primary care [PODCAST]

February 20, 2023 Kevin 0
…
Next

3 hospitalists' struggles with board certification: a tale of ineligibility, cancelled tests, and unfair fees

February 21, 2023 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Palliative Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Breaking the stigma: Making HIV and COVID screening routine in primary care [PODCAST]
Next Post >
3 hospitalists' struggles with board certification: a tale of ineligibility, cancelled tests, and unfair fees

More by Saurabh Gupta, MD

  • Shopify’s meeting policy for health care: a game changer for providers and patients

    Saurabh Gupta, MD

Related Posts

  • How social media can help or hurt your health care career

    Health eCareers
  • What being a hospice volunteer taught me about health care

    Farid Alsabeh
  • Physicians have become devalued in modern health care

    Anonymous
  • Street medicine: You don’t know about it, but you don’t care to

    Ti Hoang
  • Family medicine and the fight for the soul of health care

    Timothy Hoff, PhD
  • Can personalized medicine live up to its hype in health care?

    Ketan Desai, MD, PhD

More in Conditions

  • From hope to heartbreak: a story of loss in the ICU

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • The beauty of a patient’s gratitude

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • From clocking in to clocking out: the transition to retirement

    Debbie Moore-Black, RN
  • Overcoming Parkinson’s: a journey of laughter and resilience

    Cynthia Poire Mathews, FNP
  • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

    Denise Reich
  • Maximize sleep efficiency with stimulus control

    Pedram Navab, DO
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • Physicians are a finite resource we need to protect

      Jack Resneck, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Beyond pizza and pens: National Doctors’ Day should be about saving lives

      James Young, MD | Physician
    • From clocking in to clocking out: the transition to retirement

      Debbie Moore-Black, RN | Conditions
    • Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Telemedicine in the opioid crisis: a game-changer threatened by DEA regulations

      Julie Craig, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Breaking the cycle of failure in modern medicine

      Kortney West, MD | Physician
    • ChatGPT: the Napster of the AI world?

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The missing piece of physicians’ financial plans

      Daniel B. Wrenne, CFP | Finance
    • Counterfeit drugs: a hidden danger lurking in your medicine cabinet

      Emily Kahoud | Meds
    • How understanding cultural backgrounds can lead to better patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Is Surgery Riskier After a COVID Infection?
  • The Best Medicine for Healthcare Workers: A Living Wage
  • Meat Consumption and UTIs; Air Pollution's Effects on Health
  • 'Early Birds' With Sleep Apnea May Get More CPAP Benefits
  • Mental Health Care Goes Beyond Just the Patient

Meeting Coverage

  • VTE Risk in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Increases With More Lines of Chemotherapy
  • Obesity's Impact on Uterine Cancer Risk Greater in Younger Age Groups
  • Oral Roflumilast Effective in the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis
  • Phase III Trials 'Hit a Home Run' in Advanced Endometrial Cancer
  • Cannabis Use Common in Post-Surgery Patients on Opioid Tapering
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
    • Physicians are a finite resource we need to protect

      Jack Resneck, Jr., MD | Physician
    • Beyond pizza and pens: National Doctors’ Day should be about saving lives

      James Young, MD | Physician
    • From clocking in to clocking out: the transition to retirement

      Debbie Moore-Black, RN | Conditions
    • Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Telemedicine in the opioid crisis: a game-changer threatened by DEA regulations

      Julie Craig, MD | Meds
  • Past 6 Months

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • It’s time for C-suite to contract directly with physicians for part-time work

      Aaron Morgenstein, MD & Corinne Sundar Rao, MD | Physician
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
    • The untold struggles patients face with resident doctors

      Denise Reich | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Collaborating with occupational therapists: a game-changer for behavioral health [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Breaking the cycle of failure in modern medicine

      Kortney West, MD | Physician
    • ChatGPT: the Napster of the AI world?

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The missing piece of physicians’ financial plans

      Daniel B. Wrenne, CFP | Finance
    • Counterfeit drugs: a hidden danger lurking in your medicine cabinet

      Emily Kahoud | Meds
    • How understanding cultural backgrounds can lead to better patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Jimmy Carter brings attention to hospice care: the compassionate side of modern medicine
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...