Definitions of palliative care – narrative review and new proposal

Correct definition of palliative care is crucial because it 1) sets its goals, 2) defines the population of patients requiring this care, 3) determines the procedures, 4) is the basis for health and social policy decisions, 5) can be reflected in the creation of legal solutions, 6) influences the organizational structures of health care, 7) entails investment, material and personal resources, and - most importantly - 8) outlines its role as an element of public health.

This paper reviews commonly used definitions in the context of the historical background and the challenges posed by the aging of society and medical progress. In addition, a distinction has been made between related terms such as hospice, supportive, end-of-life, and respite care.

Based on a critical analysis of the available definitions, the following definition has been proposed: Palliative care is the care of a person with a life-threatening or substantially life-limiting disease, requiring treatment of physical or mental symptoms resulting from the disease or its treatment, providing support in the area of social and spiritual needs, culture, and sexuality, aimed at alleviating suffering and optimizing the quality of life of the person and their relatives, carried out regardless of disease activity and the treatment modifying its course, in its early stages, terminal phase, during the dying, and after patient’s death concerning the relatives.

Further work is needed to agree on the contemporary definition of palliative care.