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Several studies published during 2014 highlight the benefits of palliative care and hospice consultation in seriously ill patients.
In a randomized trial, 24 medical oncology clinics at a comprehensive cancer care center in Canada were assigned to provide either standard care or a palliative care intervention (immediate consultation and regular follow-up by a palliative care team) for their adult outpatients with advanced cancer. After 4 months, quality of life and patient satisfaction with care were significantly higher in the intervention group (NEJM JW Gen Med Feb 27 2014).
In another study, 3100 Canadian outpatients who received care from palliative care teams were matched by propensity score with an equal number of patients who received …