At the Intersection of Palliative Care, Psychedelic Medicine, and Healthcare Reform: A Call for a New Hospice and Palliative Care Movement
Journal of Palliative Care August 4, 2020 Ilan Bernstein
Palliative care providers are expected to address psychological and spiritual distress in patients, as existential suffering can worsen symptoms and limit treatment. The author argues that tending to psychospiritual domains is as fundamental as managing physical symptoms, positioning palliative care to lead healthcare toward a more integrative approach. This reform is described as a disruptive effort akin to the modern hospice movement of the 1960s. The article strengthens the case for healthcare reform as a patient, provider, and societal imperative, discusses the historical role of palliative care in healthcare delivery, and reflects on lessons from psychedelic clinical research for redefining the medical and societal role of healers, leaders, and reformers.