Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social, and spiritual problems is paramount. The goal of palliative care is achievement of the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. In one sense, this means that the patient is regarded as a whole person, that is, as an integrated combination of body, mind and spirit, situated within a particular family and cultural context.
Palliative care is, par excellence, care that is given through the medium of a human relationship.
The self of the caregiver is the primary diagnostic and therapeutic instrument. Consequently, scientific knowledge, the techniques of pain and symptom control, and other technical aspects of care miss their mark if they are not infused with a genuinely humanistic orientation toward the patient. Palliative care has emerged as a specialized field within the past thirty years. International efforts are underway to accomplish these goals. The field of anaesthesiology has an important role to play in these efforts.