About this Book

This is one of the few texts available that focuses on the human aspect of managing pain and suffering. Through personal accounts and professional studies, this collection of essays examines the impact of pain and suffering from the viewpoints of patients, family members, clergy and caregivers. The book promotes a holistic understanding of human suffering that extends beyond the scope of pain management to stress the overall importance of a fully developed patient-provider relationship. The authors emphasize the necessity of human engagement, which is often considered as falling outside the bounds of medical treatment, as crucial to a patient's experience. Because the personalization of caregiving is an issue so important to the future of health care, this is an essential text for health care providers who are new to the field as well as those who are seasoned professionals.