The role of palliative care in COVID-19

Abstract

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare systems are experiencing an increased demand for palliative care (PC). To meet this challenge, the PC team at Cleveland Clinic designed an enterprise-wide response plan organized around 4 domains: <i>staff</i> (educational resources and tools), <i>stuff</i> (medications and supplies), <i>space</i> (recommendations for optimizing physical space and facilities), and <i>systems</i> to facilitate high-quality PC delivery to patients. To mitigate isolation during end-of-life care, the Clinic offers "compassionate exceptions" to strict visitation policies, provides personal protective equipment to visitors of these patients, and facilitates virtual visitation via electronic devices.