A Commission on Palliative Care Integration in Serious Respiratory Illness
An article published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine highlights the underuse of palliative care for people with serious respiratory illnesses (SRIs), though the despite growing global need and evidence supporting its integration. Serious illnesses like COPD, interstitial lung diseases, and pulmonary hypertension cause significant suffering, yet most patients lack access to timely, appropriate palliative care. A new Lancet Respiratory Medicine Commission seeks to address this gap by developing globally relevant, culturally sensitive, and sustainable models of care that center patient and caregiver experiences, especially in low-resource and crisis settings.