Objective: Palliative care is a philosophy of care for
individuals experiencing progressive, incurable disease. It encompasses
two dynamics, science-based practice and relationship between patient,
family, and health professional. Each dynamic is essential for quality
palliative care, yet the requisites for each are different.
Methods: The scientific process of observation and
measurement requires differentiation, distance, and detachment to
fulfill its demands for objectivity, whereas relationship, unobservable
and immeasurable, requires sameness, closeness, and connection of a
shared humanity. It is science, however, the prevailing world-view,
that shapes our thinking and consequently, influences the education and
practice of health professionals.
Results: We explore the dynamics of science and relationship
and the incongruities between them. We examine the prominence of
science in palliative care and its impact on relationship.
Significance of results: We contend that questioning the
current emphasis of science in palliative care and discovering the joy
and rewards of shared human experience will enrich the quality of life
for patients, families, and health professionals.