Transforming palliative care

Diane E. Meier, Stephen L. Isaacs

"Palliative Care is the first book to provide a comprehensive understanding of the new field that is transforming the way Americans deal with serious illness." "Diane E. Meier, M.D., one of the field's leaders and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation 'genius award' in 2009, opens the volume with a sweeping overview of the field. In her essay, Dr. Meier examines the roots of palliative care, explores the key legal and ethical issues, discusses the development of palliative care, and presents ideas on policies that can improve access to palliative care. Dr. Meier's essay is followed by reprints of twenty-five of the most important articles in the field. They range from classic pieces by some of the field's pioneers, such as Eric Cassel, Balfour Mount, and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, to influential newer articles on topics such as caregiving and cost savings of palliative care. The reprints...