Early palliative care cuts costs for critically ill patients

Palliative care delivered early during hospitalization can help cut costs for critically ill patients, finds a new study. Palliative care aims to relieve suffering, be it physical, emotional, social or spiritual. Unlike hospice, palliative care is not limited to the last six months of life. Nor must palliative care patients be considered terminally ill: they often continue to receive disease-modifying treatments along with palliative care services.