title: A cross-sectional survey of the activity of palliative care teams in Portugal.
abstract: Of the 21 Portuguese teams identified, 10 accepted to participate in the study. A total of 164 patients were included with a median of 15.5 per team (4-32). Of all the patients included, 60 (37%) were identified as inpatients in palliative care units; 59 (36%) by an intrahospital support team; 26 (16%) as outpatients; and 19 (12%) at home. The median age was 71 years (16-95). Fifty-one percent were females. The diagnosis was cancer in 151 (92%) patients. The most common cancer was colorectal in 22 (15%) patients, followed by gastric 17 (11%), head and neck 17 (11%), breast 15 (10%), and lung cancers 14 (9%). All patients were treated by doctors and nurses experienced in palliative care.
authors.affiliation: 1Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ferraz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Catarina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claro
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coimbra
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Diniz
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Emília
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fradique
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Florbela
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.forename: Américo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pina
authors.forename: Conceição
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Filipa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care; D011174:Portugal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires