Some Facts about Palliative Care

Board certified in hospice and palliative care with the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Khalid Mahmoud Shirif obtained his doctor of medicine at the University of Minnesota in 1997. Dr. Khalid Mahmoud Shirif acquired experience in general surgery through residency training at several institutions. Currently, Dr. Khalid Shirif serves as a medical director with his palliative care center Traditions Hospice in Mesa, Arizona, where he provides care for terminally ill patients.

Palliative care, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), is an approach that centers on improving the quality of life of patients and their families who are faced with problems that emanate from the patient's life-threatening illness. Palliative care providers achieve this through early identification, assessment, and treatment of problems that can or already do result from the illness (such as pain). Aside from addressing physical symptoms like pain, palliative care also assesses physically elusive symptoms such as psychosocial stress. Healthcare providers who specialize in palliative care are proficient in communicating with patients and their families to ensure that the care they receive is in line with their goals and wishes.

The goal of palliative care is not to extend a patient's life. Instead, it focuses on actively supporting the patient with attainable comfort before they die. Since it improves the patient's quality of life, it may have a positive influence on the course of the illness. It can also be done along with other therapies (such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy) that intend to prolong the patient's life or restore them to health.