I have been participating in a project as a patient advocate since 2015 testing a “patient-
centered” approach to medicine. Under the leadership of Dr. Benzi Kluger, a team-
based, holistic system that focuses on improving quality of life at every disease stage for
PD patients, as well as their care partners and families, is becoming a reality. That
system is referred to by the enigmatic term “palliative care” in the medical world,
though it is also called “comfort care” in some cases to reduce confusion.
I expressed frustration in
conversations with Dr, Kluger about the emphasis on the clinical aspects of
medicine at the expense of more personal relationships. The term that describes
a traditional relationship with patients is “curative”. The palliative approach
adds a second layer based on increased attention to considerate communication and
assisting patients in making critical choices that meet their needs and wishes,
thereby improving their quality of life.
The progress that has been made
is extremely gratifying for me. At the
same time, I hope that patient-centered approaches become standard practice in all
categories of medicine as opposed to selected “silos”. When and if that happens, my vision of truly patient-centered
medical care can become a reality.
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