title: Young adult palliative care: challenges and opportunities.
abstract: Young adulthood is a time of immense growth and possibilities. As a result, it is also a time when serious illness can have profound effects. This review examines the current data pertinent to young adult palliative care and discusses the challenges and opportunities where palliative medicine can enhance the care provided to this growing and vulnerable population. From the data, 2 primary themes emerged (1) ongoing young adult development not only generates unique biologic disease burdens and clinical treatment options but also requires frequent assessment and promotion and (2) binary health care systems often leave young adults without access to developmentally appropriate health care. Given its interdisciplinary approach, palliative care is uniquely poised to address the challenges known to caring for the seriously ill young adult.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma, School of Community Medicine-Tulsa, OU Center for Palliative Care, Tulsa, OK, USA jennifer-k-clark@ouhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fasciano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescents and young adults; emerging adult; end-of-life care; hospice; palliative care; young adult