We’re a team of seven students working to build community and facilitate empathetic communication in palliative care. We began this project in June 2023 after learning about the gaps in communication between healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers, particularly in palliative care. Since then, we’ve spoken with palliative care individuals, immersed ourselves in learning more about the field, and began Auxilium, our app and online platform. Through Auxilium, the Latin word for “help,” we hope to improve the palliative care experience for patients, caregivers, physicians, and families.

Defining Palliative Care

Many of us are familiar with the term “hospice.” Hospice refers to end-of-life care and places an emphasis on quality of life. Palliative care, on the other hand, is different. The two forms of care overlap in many of their goals, but what distinguishes them from one another?

Like hospice, palliative care aims to minimize suffering for patients with serious illnesses, putting their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs at the forefront. However, unlike hospice, where patients are not undergoing treatment, those in palliative care may eventually recover. Rather than just pertaining to individuals in their final few months, palliative care encompasses patients of all serious illnesses whether or not they are actively being treated.

Our Goal

With several of us having personal ties to palliative care, we understand the importance of confidence when navigating the process. It can often be overwhelming and confusing, and our goal is to alleviate these challenges. Our app includes features designed to manage symptoms, medications, and moods, as well as assist in identifying patterns in these areas over time. We’ve built journaling, breathing, and mindfulness components, enabling both patients and caretakers to prioritize their mental health. We’ve also created a platform where patients, caregivers, and physicians can connect with one another. Be sure to check out our intro video and app demo video to learn more!

Right now, we are actively reaching out to individuals involved in palliative care to better understand their needs and receive feedback on our current app model. As a starting point, we are beta testing our design with Parkinson’s patients and caregivers but hope to soon expand to the broader palliative care community. If you or someone you know is a palliative care patient, caretaker, or physician and is interested in demoing our app, we’d greatly appreciate it if you could fill out this form.

On our blog, we look forward to sharing relevant news, discussing the complex subject of palliative care, and spotlighting stories featuring members of the community. We are so excited to embark on this journey, and we hope that you will join us!