Supportive Care

Supportive care can be rendered to patients having reached maximum therapeutic benefit, involved in an active care program, or for whom periodic trials of therapeutic withdrawal fail to sustain previous therapeutic gains that would otherwise progressively deteriorate." Supportive care follows appropriate application of active and passive care including lifestyle modifications. It is appropriate when rehabilitative and/or functional restorative and alternative care options, including home-based self-care and lifestyle modifications have been considered and attempted. Supportive care may be inappropriate when it interferes with other appropriate primary care or when the risk of supportive care outweighs its benefits, i.e. physician dependence, somatization, illness behavior or secondary gain."