Palliative care in chronic progressive neurological disease Changing perspectives

Patients with chronic progressive neurological disease share ongoing deterioration in functioning and are faced with a host of physical, cognitive, emotional, and existential problems. There is growing evidence that an early palliative care approach improves these patients’ level of comfort and quality of life. Nevertheless, in daily neurological practice palliative care is usually not given on time, readily leading to both under- and overtreatment.
This thesis provides insights into the current daily practice of (Dutch) specialists concerning integration of palliative care in the follow-up of their patients with chronic progressive neurological diseases, and recommendations for improvement of the contemporary policy.