Palliative care provides skilled management of symptoms from the burden of disease and treatments and allay suffering (psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual). Examples of these symptoms may include pain, constipation, anxiety, depression, loss of appetite to name a few. Our aim is to improve patient and family quality of life while allowing medical providers to continue to focus on the clinical trial. Please explore this page to learn more about our program and the specialty of palliative care.
Established in 2000, the Pain and Palliative Care consultation service is available to all patients who are actively participating in a research study within the Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Ann Berger (fourth from the left) is the founder and current Chief of Palliative Care at NIH. Ask your research team if palliative care may help you and your family.