Palliative care, advance care planning, and end-of-life care: a quest for conceptual clarity

Healthcare providers will increasingly care for patients with cardiovascular disease that has progressed to advanced or even end stage. In this setting, goals of care may shift from life-prolonging to symptom-focused, and use of approaches like advance care planning, palliative care, and end-of-life care may be increasingly important. Clinicians must be familiar with these concepts to employ them in a timely and appropriate manner. Herein, we describe the distinguishing features of each concept, describe common barriers to use, and demonstrate when patients may benefit from these approaches, in an effort to provide holistic care aligned with patients' goals and values.