Kathrin Milbury Discusses Protective Buffering

Kathrin Milbury, PhD, assistant professor of Integrative Medicine Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the concept of protective buffering.

Through her research and previous studies, Milbury found that patients and their spouses oftentimes do not share their concerns or burdens in order to protect each other. The lack of communication can alienate spouses from one another and increase distress and symptom burden.

Communication becomes even more relevant in patients with advanced disease as it applies to end of life planning and decision making in regards to treatment, palliative care, and hospice care, Milbury says.