The Odd One Out: A Review of Palliative Medicine in Modern Healthcare

Abstract

Western Healthcare systems primarily focus on cure and life extension, while Palliative care (PC) and Palliative medicine (PM) maintain a distinctive, marginalized position. The paper aims to analyze the specific features within PC that prioritize dignity and quality-of-life-enhancing approaches, focusing on the role of multidisciplinary teams and their core communication practices and comprehensive care. Such an approach emphasizes compassion, empathy, and respect for patient autonomy, ensuring that care aligns with individual values and preferences. Systemic biases, cultural death stigmas, alongside structural inefficiencies, restrict the complete integration of patient and caregiver satisfaction benefits, cost reduction measures, and ethical patient-centred healthcare initiatives. The dominance of curative medicine limits awareness of PC and PM’s holistic benefits. Using a narrative review approach, this research examines the historical development of PC and PM, in conjunction with existing system problems and new strategies, to establish these fields as core value-based healthcare practices. It further highlights the growing need for training programs, policy reform, and interprofessional collaboration to strengthen palliative frameworks. Healthcare institutions must eliminate misunderstandings as they transition to new payment structures and educate staff to integrate these fields more effectively, which may support patients with serious pathologies, life-threatening illnesses, individuals with longstanding conditions and chronic diseases, including children, and aging populations. Ultimately, embracing PC and PM can redefine healthcare success through compassion, dignity, and improved quality of life.