Physiotherapy in palliative oncology

Outreach multi-disciplinary palliative care teams have tended to duplicate hospital-based teams which historically have consisted almost exclusively of doctors and nurses. This paper outlines the role of physiotherapy in palliative care. It provides a conceptual framework for physiotherapy involvement and its potential to contribute within the palliative care team therapeutically and cost-effectively. To put physiotherapy management of the disease process into perspective, some basic data on terminal illness, and statistics of a Brisbane hospice, are included. The need for more outreach physiotherapy intervention is emphasised.