Overcoming the Barriers to Palliative Care Referral for Patients With Advanced Heart Failure

I n the care of seriously ill patients, cardiologists and otherphysicians must have many skills to effectively help the patient and family manage the symptoms from the illness, cope with and understand the likely illness trajectory, and navigate complex medical decision making. Cardiologists routinely use these skills to effectively maximize the patient’s quality of life. However, for those patients who have a severe symptom burden or more difficulty coping with the complex-ities of a serious illness, consultation by a palliative care clinician can be a valuable resource. The Center to Advance Palliative Care defines subspecialty palliative care as follows: “Specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. This type of care is focused on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis or prognosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both th