The process of patients with advanced illnesses entering the emergency department is fraught with uncertainty for both patients and medical providers. Yet, there is a lack of definitive and accessible resources which provide immediate guidance for the care of these patients. Palliative Care in the Emergency Care is a practical guide designed to fill this void. From the paramedic struggling with difficult and/or conflicting information in the home through the palliative care specialist trying to interface effectively with the emergency department, this user-friendly handbook offers practical help from experts in the interdependent fields of Emergency Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. This evidenced-based book covers the prognostication and assessment of relevant, advanced-illness clinical problems, the management of symptoms, and the physical and spiritual treatment of palliative patients in the emergency department through their last hours of living. Also included are chapters focusing on hospice care, communication techniques, and the legal and ethical issues of palliative care in the emergency department. This guide is a must-have resource for clinicians looking for concise, point-of-care information, and for hospital administrators working to address palliative care needs in emergency departments through best practice recommendations.

Many emergency clinicians encounter a gap in knowledge and skills when presented with serious life-threatening illness, particularly in patients with advanced and terminal illness. Over the last decade, studies have shown that patients who receive palliative care in the emergency setting have improved clinical outcomes with better symptom management, improved goal concordant care, and more effective resource utilization that delivers improved patient centered outcomes. Palliative Care in Emergency Medicine is intended to serve as a practical resource to the essential clinicians on the frontlines of emergency care. Dr. Quest brings together emergency medicine clinicians and palliative care subspecialists to discuss common, challenging cases that clinicians struggle with daily regarding care for patients and families experiencing serious, life threatening, and terminal illnesses. Each chapter opens with a typical emergency department clinical case, followed by a discussion, conclusion, and suggested readings that explore the topic in more depth. Palliative Care in Emergency Medicine equips emergency clinicians to meet seriously ill patients and family wherever they are and provide the best care possible.