High-quality palliative care uses a multidisciplinary approach to integrate the efforts of a wide range of health care and social service providers. In palliative care, quality of life is the key focus. It is often the process of care which is more significant than the final outcome . The multidisciplinary focus on quality of life is central to many of the studies included in the book. The book also has a strongly international perspective.
Palliative care is still underdeveloped in many parts of the world.
Several chapters deal with strategic approaches for addressing this, while respecting local cultural and ethical systems. The book has been prepared with a student readership in mind, particularly at the higher levels of study. Costs of palliative care 3. Resource allocation and palliative care 4. The evolution of the hospice approach 6.