title: [Creating a good relationship between hospital and clinic for the support of end-of-life home care patients-usefulness of questionnaires to indicate the capacity of home care-supporting clinics for palliative care].
abstract: We have been practicing palliative care for terminal cancer patients at outpatient sections, patient wards, by home care, and by visiting nursing stations for the last 4 years. After the establishment of our palliative care unit in June 2011, it became difficult for us to provide sufficient home care support by ourselves, because of the increasing number of the patients and their widespread locations. It is therefore necessary to cooperate with regional medical clinics in order to support the patients who need home care even after their condition deteriorates. To determine the extent to which the home care-supporting clinics perform palliative care, we used an original questionnaire. Twenty-five clinics agreed to the publication of their names as our cooperating clinics. The number of patients who received palliative care at home from home care clinics after visiting our hospital increased from 8% to 14%, and the rate of patients who died at home also increased from 10% to 13%. Information about cooperating with home care clinics is very important and the improvement of palliative care skills necessary for home care doctors to continue their support for End-Of-Life cancer patients. Furthermore, the hospital should offer a strict and timely backup when the condition of patients treated at home suddenly deteriorates.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Palliative Care, Heiwa Hospital.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.forename: Motoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwadare
mesh_terms: D006699:Home Care Services; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D010166:Palliative Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care