緩和医療
uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families, including bereavement counselling, if indicated;
will enhance quality of life, and may also positively influence the course of illness;
is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and includes those investigations needed to better understand and manage distressing clinical complications.
すなわち緩和医療とは、生命を脅かす疾患の患者やその家族にたいして、現在の治療の目的を認識し、予後の見通しをたて、患者が現在何に困っているかの見極めをおこない、その苦痛を緩和することにより、患者や家族の現在のQOLを最大限まで高めることを目標とする医療行為といえる 。