Integrating Palliative Care Into Physiatric Care

There are opportunities for physiatrists to apply a palliative care lens within clinical encounters across rehabilitation settings. The expanding population of patients with serious illness and injury cared for by physiatrists and the anticipated shortage of specialty palliative care clinicians make it important that physiatrists hone and apply basic palliative care skills as part of comprehensive physiatric care. In this article, four clinical vignettes highlight relevant palliative care communication skills and demonstrate the value of integrating these skills within physiatry encounters. Resources to support physiatrists in applying basic palliative skills are provided throughout.