A recent House subcommittee hearing focused on palliative care. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
+ Regulatory
Amanda Rupp | Sep 15, 2016

House subcommittee hearing emphasizes palliative care

Leaders at the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing recently discussed HR 3119, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA).

The act is a sign of significant progress in improving the quality of life that cancer patients, survivors and their families experience. The legislation could provide an increase in the federal research that is conducted for palliative care, symptom management and pain.

“This legislation calls attention to the critical need for cancer patients and survivors to have access to supportive care that treats the whole patient, not just their disease,” Chris Hansen, president of ACS CAN, said. “Expanding access to palliative care is key to helping transform the way we treat patients with cancer and other serious illnesses. It improves their quality of care, sometimes prolongs life and saves the health system money.”

Furthermore, doctors, nurses and other health care professionals could gain additional training to more effectively provide for their patients. The legislation could also create a national public awareness and education campaign about palliative care.

“On behalf of cancer patients and survivors and their families, ACS CAN and its volunteers across the country have worked over the past five years to educate lawmakers and the public on the value of palliative care in improving patient quality of life,” Hansen said. “Next week, more than 700 cancer patients, survivors and ACS CAN advocates from nearly every congressional district will travel to Capitol Hill to urge their Members of Congress to advance this legislation. ACS CAN looks forward to working with Members of Congress to move this critical legislation forward.”

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