SMILES--toward a better laughter life: a model for introducing humor in the palliative care setting.

Humor and laughter have been thought to be beneficial for thousands of years. Although much has been written on this subject, there is very little written about the actual use of humor in practice. This article reviews the role that humor and laughter may play in medicine in general and palliative care in particular. In addition, it introduces a model that clinicians can follow when trying to introduce humor into their daily encounters with patients.