Textbook of Palliative Care

This second edition provides the most up-to-date information on all aspects of palliative care including recent developments (including COVID-19), global policies, service provision, symptom management, professional aspects, organization of services, palliative care for specific populations, palliative care emergencies, ethical issues in palliative care, research in palliative care, public health approaches and financial aspects of care. This new Textbook of Palliative Care remains a unique, comprehensive, clinically relevant and state-of-the art book, aimed at advancing palliative care as a science, a clinical practice and as an art.

Palliative care has been part of healthcare for over fifty years but it still needs to explained to many. Healthcare education and training has been slow to recognize the vital importance of ensuring that all practitioners have a good understanding of what is involved in the care of people with serious or advanced illnesses and their families. However, the science of palliative care is advancing and this new edition will contribute to a better understanding.

This new edition offers 86 updated or new chapters out of 108, written by experts in their given fields, providing up-to-date information on a wide range of topics of relevance to those providing care towards the end of life no matter what the disease may be. We present a global perspective on contemporary and classic issues in palliative care with authors from a wide range of disciplines involved in this essential aspect of care. The Textbook includes sections addressing aspects such as symptom management and care provision, organization of care in different settings, care in specific disease groups, palliative care emergencies, ethics, public health approaches and research in palliative care.

This new Textbook will be of value to practitioners in all disciplines and professions where the care of people approaching death is important, specialists as well as non-specialists, in any setting where people with serious advanced illnesses are residing. It is also an important resource for researchers, policy-and decision-makers at national or regional levels. Neither the science nor the art of palliative care will stand still so the Editors and contributors from all over the world aim to keep this Textbook updated so that the reader can find new evidence and approaches to care.

Lieve Van den Block is Professor of Ageing and Palliative Care at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Chair of the Ageing and Palliative Care Research Programme at the End-of-Life Care Research Group of the VUB and Ghent University in Belgium. She holds a Ph.D. in Medical Social Sciences and a master's in Clinical Psychology. Professor Van den Block has been involved in palliative care research for over 15 years, focusing on national and international public health and interventional research aimed at monitoring and improving palliative and end-of-life care. She has received several scientific awards for her work, including the 2014 Early Researcher Award of the European Association for Palliative Care. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles on palliative care and is editor and author of several books and chapters. Her work has been supported by grants from the European Commission, national fundamental and applied research foundations, and leading medical and health charities.

Roderick MacLeod is the holder of several degrees and Fellowships including MB, ChB, MMedEd, PhD, FRCGP, FAChPM. He was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015. In 2021 he was awarded the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, College Medal. He currently holds an honorary appointment in the Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, New Zealand and works with the Violet Initiative in Sydney, Australia. Professor MacLeod has been involved in palliative care for over 35 years and has practiced in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed articles on aspects of palliative care and has written many books and book chapters on Palliative Care. He has been on the editorial board of a number of international journals and has been a reviewer for many palliative care and health-related journals.