Vladimir Poroch
University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Gr.T.Popa”, Iasi
Romania
Developing a New Pathway for Management of Palliative Care Patients with Advanced Cancer in Iaşi County
Background
At the moment at Iasi county level there is a high number of patients with advanced cancer requiring admission for palliative care in the hospital, while the number of beds is limited and insufficient to serve all requests. The palliative care inpatient units shall be devoted mainly to the patients with complex palliative care needs. Patients with simple care needs shall be taken over by other care services (GPs, general home care services, day-care facilities, etc.), so as to reduce the use of hospital services (resources) and the waiting time for the admission of patients who really need to be hospitalized.
Currently there is a need to manage these cases, to ensure clear and simple selection criteria for hospitalization, to easily integrate patient’s care in the community upon discharge and to ensure palliative care continuity between different types of health care providers.
Objectives
Creating a „ready to use“ new pathway for management of palliative care advanced cancer patients in Iaşi County, starting from 2017, in order to provide coordinated palliative care between different types of services (in-patient units, out-patient units and home care).
Methods
Designing a „new pathway” and discuss it through meetings and round tables with different stakeholders (palliative care providers, health authorities, professional bodies and patients’associations) at Iasi county level and finally reaching a consensus on a pathway, adapted to local specifics.
Results
A coordinated palliative care pathway between different types of palliative care services at Iasi County level, adapted to local conditions and consecutively optimising the use of resources and providing better care.