; (B) the successful use of palliative care in the care of patients with other chronic diseases and serious illnesses; (C) the utilization of palliative care at any point in an illness, including when used at the same time as curative treatment; and (D) other areas determined appropriate by the Comptroller General. (2) Definition of palliative care In this section, the term palliative care means patient and family centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering. Such term includes care that is furnished throughout the continuum of the illness that addresses physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs and that facilitates patient autonomy, access to information and choice. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Congress a report on the study conducted under subsection (a), together with such recommendations as the Comptroller General determines to be appropriate. 104. Understanding the progression of kidney disease and treatment of kidney failure in minority populations (a) Study The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the Secretary ) shall conduct a study on— (1) the social, behavioral, and biological factors leading to kidney disease; (2) efforts to slow the progression of kidney disease in minority populations that are disproportionately affected by such disease