title: Prospective evaluation of transition to specialized home palliative care in Japan.
abstract: The aim of this study was to clarify patients' characteristics and the level of symptom management in the transition to specialized home palliative care, and to examine prospectively real-time evaluation of both terminal cancer patients and their families. This study was conducted at one of the largest institutions offering specialized home palliative care in Japan. We asked both the patient's and the family's health status at the initial assessment and 2 weeks later. One hundred sets of patients and their families were included in this study. Regarding patient characteristics at the time of referral to the specialized home palliative care service, patients referred from outpatient settings had more severe physical symptoms than patients referred from inpatient settings. The specialized home palliative care service could contribute to patients' symptom and families' psychosocial status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Nursing/Palliative Care Nursing, The University of Tokyo, Japan. emaeyama-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kusajima
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawa
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kazuma
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okabe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D017028:Caregivers; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life