Developing a palliative care outreach service

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Services
• Palliative Care
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Palliative care services are crucial for improving patient quality of life.
• National initiatives emphasize the expansion of palliative care accessibility.
• Community hospitals often face challenges in providing specialized palliative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a palliative care outreach service.
• To enhance equity in palliative care service delivery within a community setting.
• To align with national objectives for palliative care service expansion.

Main Methods:

• Two nurse practitioners established an outreach service across ten community hospitals.
• The service managed direct patient referrals.
• An educational program was developed and implemented for hospital staff.

Main Results:

• The outreach service successfully improved patient care outcomes.
• Significant achievements were noted in staff development and education.
• Enhanced equity in service delivery was observed across participating hospitals.

Conclusions:

• Palliative care outreach services developed by nurse practitioners are effective.
• Such services can successfully improve patient care and staff knowledge in community hospitals.
• This model supports national goals for accessible and equitable palliative care.