Mass General clinician-researcher Jennifer Temel, MD, a Hostetter MGH Research Scholar, is studying the effects of palliative care on quality of life for patients with serious illnesses. She was recently profiled in an article on the Mass General Giving website.

Here are five things to know:

Palliative care is a treatment designed to provide relief from the symptoms and stress caused by serious illnesses such as cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and heart failure.

Dr. Temel, director of the Cancer Outcomes Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been investigating the effects of providing palliative care to cancer patients earlier on in the disease process.

Her research has found that lung cancer patients have a better quality of life when earlier palliative care is involved, including lower rates of depression and better communication with their care providers.

Dr. Temel is investigating the effectiveness of palliative care treatment for patients who have just been diagnosed with leukemia.

She is also collaborating with Mass General’s Healthcare Transformation Laboratory to develop a mobile app designed to help newly diagnosed leukemia patients learn about their condition and treatment.

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