title: How to Manage Hospital-Based Palliative Care Teams Without Full-Time Palliative Care Physicians in Designated Cancer Care Hospitals: A Qualitative Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify how highly active hospital palliative care teams can provide efficient and effective care regardless of the lack of full-time palliative care physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semistructured focus group interviews were conducted, and content analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 7 physicians and 6 nurses participated. We extracted 209 codes from the transcripts and organized them into 3 themes and 21 categories, which were classified as follows: (1) tips for managing palliative care teams efficiently and effectively (7 categories); (2) ways of acquiring specialist palliative care expertise (9 categories); and (3) ways of treating symptoms that are difficult to alleviate (5 categories).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study can be used as a nautical chart of hospital-based palliative care team (HPCT) without full-time PC physician. Full-time nurses who have high management and coordination abilities play a central role in resource-limited HPCTs.
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan meidai@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors: Akihiro
authors: A
authors: Sakashita
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
authors: Megumi
authors: M
authors: Kishino
authors: Medical Support and Partnership Division, Center for Cancer Control and Information Services, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Nakazawa
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
authors: Nobuyuki
authors: N
authors: Yotani
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Department of Palliative Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
authors: Yoshiyuki
authors: Y
authors: Kizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000070659:Patient Comfort; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D010820:Physicians / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration
keywords: consultation; education; management; palliative care; palliative care teams; qualitative research