Integrated palliative care within a general hospital

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Internal Medicine
• Palliative Care

Background:

• Palliative care integration is crucial for patients with advanced malignant diseases.
• Rural general hospitals face unique challenges in delivering specialized care.
• Existing internal medicine wards often lack dedicated palliative care support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate essential palliative care elements into a standard internal medicine ward in a rural general hospital.
• To assess the feasibility and impact of this integration on patient care and healthcare teams.

Main Methods:

• Expanded medical and nursing staff through grant funding.
• Implemented comprehensive training and supervision programs.
• Utilized a specialized documentation system for patient evaluation.

Main Results:

• Successfully integrated palliative care, with an average of 8.5 beds occupied by project patients.
• Documented effective relief of pain, nausea, and respiratory distress.
• Facilitated single rooms and family presence for the majority of dying patients.
• Anonymous questionnaires revealed a significant positive impact on the healthcare team.

Conclusions:

• Palliative care can be effectively integrated into routine internal medicine ward operations.
• This integration yields positive outcomes for both patients and healthcare teams in rural settings.
• The project demonstrates a successful model for enhancing end-of-life care in general hospitals.