Care of the terminally ill from religious perspectives: role of palliative and hospice care.

Health care should make an attempt to understand the different religious principles that affect end-of-life decisions in patient care. With advanced illness, defining an ethical framework is essential to understanding sensitive issues. Compassionate care is crucial in all end-of-life care settings. Physician awareness is a key principle in inculcating the religious values of patients. Cultural and religious awareness on the part of the health-care team is needed to provide patients with effective end-of-life palliative and hospice care.