Chronic diseases that require lifelong treatment and care are a significant health problem. These patients, who struggle with problems related to the disease and its treatment until the end of their lives, are not only affected in their physical health, but also in their social life and mental health. Many patients living with a serious chronic illness face numerous issues and have many questions that need to be answered by healthcare professionals during the disease process. Early palliative care planning, especially initiated when a chronic illness is diagnosed, provides guidance to the patient and family and helps them deal with the negative aspects and challenges of the disease process, effectively manage disease-related problems and improve their quality of life.

Palliative care is patient-centered care provided in collaboration with many healthcare professionals to relieve the pain and improve the quality of life of patients and their families who are suffering from a life-threatening illness. This care can be provided alone or alongside medical treatment by the healthcare team caring for the patient. The concept of palliative care gained importance in the mid-1970s with the increasing interest and spread of home hospice services. In addition, with the legal recognition of an individual's right to refuse medical treatment in the last days of life, debates about euthanasia and negative experiences related to end-of-life care underscored the importance of palliative care. Although palliative care and hospice services have been widely and effectively provided in many countries around the world in recent years, many patients still do not receive palliative care. Everyone has the right to palliative care, especially in the last days of life, based on the cultural characteristics of society and in accordance with the expectations of the patient and their family. Palliative care generally ensures the early recognition of physical and psychological symptoms as well as emotional and spiritual suffering and, in particular, prevents and alleviates pain in the last days of life. It neither hastens nor postpones death.

This book, based on the philosophy of palliative care, explains the planning and implementation of palliative care services in the management of chronic diseases. I hope that this book, prepared with the assistance of health care professionals dedicated to palliative care, will be useful, and I thank all my professors and colleagues who have contributed to its preparation.

Prof. Dr. Gülbeyaz CAN