ABSTRACT
“Sometimes to heal, often to help, and always to comfort”. This widespread wisdom in the healthcare community is a perfect portrayal of health care. In the history of human civilization, we are now in possession of such advanced technologies never seen before. However, in reality no plausible means exists to cure all diseases. All we can do is to use the resources available to provide patient-centric care with maximum safety and quality and achieve the best clinical processes and outcomes possible. As the old saying goes, cure the curable, ease the needy, and comfort the incurable; in the face of a curable patient, as much resources should be gathered as we can to cure with the safest care of the highest quality; for a disease that heals itself and needs little intervention if any, information and technologies should be harnessed to educate and comfort; as for the incurable cases, technologies and other resources should be employed for relief and comfort, allowing the patient to pass with dignity. Whether international standards or China practices, in the past, this day or the future, the same intent, and principle hold true.
