title: Supportive care services in hemato-oncology centers: a national survey.
abstract: In the field of hemato-oncology, there is paucity of data assessing models of integration between hemato-oncology and other partner specialties. The aim of this national survey was to gather information about the status of the integration of this kind of activity in hemato-oncologic units existing in Italy.
  
  
  
  A national telephone survey was conducted to gather information about the status of the integration of hemato-oncologic and supportive care/anesthesiological services. From the national registry of hemato-oncology units, 149 centers were contacted by phone and a dedicated doctor was identified to gather information about the center through a telephone interview.
  
  
  
  Eighty-one centers (54.3 %) agreed to participate. A mean of 206 (SD 132) painful procedures/year/center were performed. No significant differences among regions and centers were found (P = 0.680). Of the centers, 41.9 % usually asked for anesthesiological consultation to perform painful procedures. No differences were found between the regions (P = 0.137). A mean of 1.8 (SD 1.2) days elapsed from the request to the procedure performance (P = 0.271). No differences among the regions were found (P = 0.350). A mean of 220 (SD 89) central venous vascular accesses/year/center were performed. No differences among regions were found (P = 0.170). No differences among the centers were found (P = 0.691). A mean of 1.8 (SD 1.2) days elapsed from the request to the performance of procedure. Of the centers, 64.2 % had a palliative care team. No differences among regions were found (P = 0.331). A mean of 31.5 (SD 12.2) consultations/year/center for pain control were required. No differences among the regions were found (P = 0.556). Of the centers, 30.8 % had some beds for palliative care. No differences among the regions were found (P = 0.641). Of the centers, 32 % had a hospice was available. No differences among regions were found (P = 0.298).
  
  
  
  Integration between hemato-oncology and other professionals is unlikely to be optimal in Italy. Such integration is complex and needs great efforts to solve several organizational problems.
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit and Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Via San Lorenzo 312, 90146, Palermo, Italy. terapiadeldolore@lamaddalenanet.it.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mercadante
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Hospital Sant'Andrea, University of Rome, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costanzi
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit and Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Via San Lorenzo 312, 90146, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit and Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Via San Lorenzo 312, 90146, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villari
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemato-oncology, La Maddalena Cancer Center, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musso
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Hospital Sant'Andrea, University of Rome, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casuccio
mesh_terms: D006405:Hematology / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Hematological malignancy; Painful procedures; Palliative care; Sedation; Supportive care; Venous access