More than two-thirds of hospitals with more than 50 beds currently have palliative care programs, up from 25 percent in 2000, according to the report.
Palliative care may be a good fit for people with chronic conditions because it deals with quality of life issues that are not explicitly addressed in traditional medicine, including emotional and spiritual support, according to the report.
While some research supports the idea palliative care improves quality of life and prolongs life itself for very sick patients, it remains controversial; some physicians object to the practice because they feel it deters patients from receiving potentially life-saving treatment, according to the report.
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