For patients with chronic or life-threatening illnesses, palliative care can provide symptom relief and support.
If you have a serious illness, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center palliative medicine experts can help you feel better and improve your quality of life at any stage of your journey. With a deep understanding of serious illnesses like heart failure, lung disease, neurological conditions and other complex chronic conditions, palliative medicine specialists can help clarify questions or concerns about your illness and help you prepare for what comes next. We collaborate closely with your existing care team to ensure that your care aligns with your goals.
Our palliative care program is one of the most comprehensive in Ohio. People with serious illnesses often find that having a palliative care provider on their care team makes treatment more manageable and improves their quality of life. Palliative care experts are specially trained to manage physical and emotional symptoms, communicate effectively and support complex decision-making.
Palliative care is an extra and essential layer of support for you or your loved one facing serious illness. This type of care is focused on improving your quality of life by providing relief from the symptoms and stress of illness.
The role of palliative care in your treatment plan is based on your individual needs, not on your prognosis, and is appropriate at any age and stage of illness. Palliative care strives to improve your quality of life by focusing on:
In any setting, we walk alongside you, helping you navigate your illness while continuing appropriate treatments.
At Ohio State, palliative care for people with cancer is coordinated through the The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (the OSUCCC – James), where specialists support the unique needs that arise from cancer diagnosis, treatment and living with these complex conditions.
Palliative medicine specialists meet you where you are. Providers can see you while you are staying in the hospital and receiving treatment on an outpatient basis. And, following your initial visit, appointments with your palliative care provider can be held online through telehealth if traveling to Columbus from elsewhere in Ohio is challenging or you are simply more comfortable meeting from home.
Our team provides dedicated support to the following Ohio State Wexner Medical Center hospital locations:
If you have heart or lung disease, you can ask any member of your treatment team for a referral to palliative care in our specialized Ohio State Ambulatory Care Center within Ohio State Ross Heart Hospital.
The palliative medicine team includes:
These team members collaborate with your primary treatment teams in the hospital and in outpatient clinics to ensure that you receive compassionate care every step of the way.
One of the most common questions we hear is whether palliative care is the same as hospice. They are not the same. Hospice care is for people who are nearing the end of life (a prognosis of less than six months) who are no longer pursuing curative treatments.
You can turn to palliative care at any stage of a serious illness, alongside active treatments intended to prolong life, including during heart failure therapy, dialysis, transplant evaluation or other disease-directed treatments.
Our palliative care team can assist with a transition to hospice care if needed. Both palliative and hospice care share the goal of helping you live with quality and dignity.
You or your loved one may benefit from palliative care if you:
If you’ve been diagnosed with serious illnesses, having a palliative care provider on your team can help you manage symptoms and help you feel more prepared for the road ahead. Treating physical symptoms often allows individuals to regain function, maintain independence and continue treatments.
Common symptoms palliative care can help with include:
Jillian Gustin, MD, division director of palliative medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Angela Richards, APRN-CNP, answer some of the most frequently asked questions about palliative care, including “What is palliative care, and how is it different than hospice?” and “How do I begin discussing palliative care with my doctor or family?”
Diagnosis and treatment of serious illness affect you and your loved ones. We have specialized training and deep experience in supporting families through:
Our palliative care team is well-integrated in every hospital. This means we can help coordinate care and communication between all your providers. Because we have both inpatient and outpatient palliative services, we can work closely together to give you continuity of palliative care regardless of where you are being treated. We work together as part of an interdisciplinary team, adapting to your needs depending on your stage of illness, keeping you at the center of your care.
The palliative medicine program at Ohio State is a national leader among cancer centers. We operate one of the nation’s only opioid stewardship programs, an initiative that guides people to safe and effective use of opioids for pain relief while preventing misuse. Our specially trained palliative pharmacists often train colleagues nationally on safe opioid use for cancer symptoms and help support our patients with their symptom management medications.
And we invest in the future of palliative medicine through the Center for Research Excellence in Supportive Care (CREST), whose researchers study ways to improve quality of life for people with cancer and other serious illnesses.
If you are receiving treatment at Ohio State or the OSUCCC – James and would like to receive palliative care or speak with a palliative care specialist, ask a member of your treatment team for a referral.
No. Hospice is for people who are nearing the end of life and who are also no longer pursuing curative treatment. Palliative care can be provided at any stage of serious illness and alongside treatments.
No. Being referred to palliative care does not mean you’re at the end of life. It means your care team wants to provide additional support to help manage symptoms, improve your quality of life and ensure your care aligns with your goals. Many people receive palliative care while continuing active treatment for months or years.
Yes. Our palliative care team works with your existing medical team to help you tolerate treatment and feel better.
Palliative care supports people with serious illnesses such as cancer, heart failure, lung disease, neurological conditions and other complex chronic conditions.
You can ask your primary doctor or specialist for a referral or contact our office directly to learn more.
In most cases, palliative care consultations are covered similarly to other specialty medical visits. Coverage may vary depending on your insurance plan.
