Safeguarding Palliative Care in America: Challenges, Opportunities, and Recommendations
In a Lancet article, CAPC’s Diane E. Meier, Stacie Sinclair, MPP, and coauthors examine the progress, current challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of palliative care in America. The authors highlight how specialty palliative care has expanded across hospitals and communities, improving symptom management, quality of life, and care experiences for patients and families. They also explore how changes in health care financing, increasing privatization, and limited investment in palliative care research may affect the continued growth and sustainability of these services. The article provides recommendations for policymakers, health systems, researchers, and industry leaders to strengthen palliative care infrastructure, support innovation, and ensure that people living with serious illness have access to high-quality, patient-centered care.