title: New Frontiers in Outpatient Palliative Care for Patients With Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although much evidence has accumulated demonstrating its benefit, relatively little is known about outpatient palliative care in patients with cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper reviews the literature and perspectives from content experts to describe the current state of outpatient palliative care in the oncology setting and current areas of innovation and promise in the field.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evidence, including from controlled trials, documents the benefits of outpatient palliative care in the oncology setting. As a result, professional medical organizations have guidelines and recommendations based on the key role of palliative care in oncology. Six elements of the practice sit at the frontier of outpatient oncology palliative care, including the setting and timing of palliative care integration into outpatient oncology, the relationships between primary and specialty palliative care, quality and measurement, research, electronic and technical innovations, and finances.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence of clinical and health care system benefits supports the recommendations of professional organizations to integrate palliative care into the routine treatment of patients with advanced cancer.
authors.affiliation: University of California/Mount Zion, San Francisco, CA. mike.rabow@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Rabow
authors.forename: Constance
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dahlin
authors.forename: Brook
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calton
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bischoff
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ritchie
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010045:Outpatients; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life