What is the difference between hospice care and general palliative care?

• A. Hospice care is for patients with prognosis six months or less who choose comfort-focused care, while palliative care can be provided at any stage concurrent with curative or life-prolonging therapies
• B. Hospice care is only for terminal cancer patients
• C. Hospice care requires discontinuing all curative treatment immediately
• D. Hospice care is home-only; palliative care is hospital-based

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that hospice and general palliative care differ in timing and treatment goals. Hospice care is designed for people who have a prognosis of roughly six months or less and who choose to focus on comfort and quality of life, rather than disease-directed treatment. Palliative care can be started at any stage of illness and can accompany curative or life-prolonging therapies, with the aim of relieving symptoms and supporting functioning, no matter what the disease trajectory looks like. Hospice is not limited to cancer and can address many serious, life-limiting illnesses; it isn’t restricted to home and can be provided in inpatient settings or facilities. It also doesn’t inherently require stopping all treatments—care decisions are guided by the patient’s goals and preferences. So the key distinction is prognosis and focus: hospice centers on comfort at the end of life, while palliative care provides relief from suffering alongside ongoing treatment at any stage.