Integrating Social Work into Palliative Care for Lung Cancer Patients and Families: A Multidimensional Approach

Abstract

Lung cancer patients and their family caregivers face a wide range of potentially distressing symptoms across the four domains of quality of life. A multidimensional approach to addressing these complex concerns with early integration of palliative care has proven beneficial. This article highlights opportunities to integrate social work using a comprehensive quality of life model and a composite patient scenario from a large lung cancer educational intervention National Cancer Institute–funded program project grant.

KEYWORDS:

• oncology social work
• palliative care
• lung cancer
• quality-of-life model
• suffering
• family caregiver support