[The role of cooperating hospitals in homecare]

The Japan Baptist Medical Foundation forms a so-called hospice triangle, with a general ward, a hospice ward, and home hospice, and it is possible to provide palliative care in the desired place. The ratio of homecare is 65.0%, and there were 2 cases in which a physician was present at the time of death. The average number of home-visit medical treatments during the week prior to death was 3.7. The median value of the period of home-visit medical treatment is 36 days. The group of homecare patients who were temporarily hospitalized during the period of home-visit medical treatment was 17.1%, and the most common reason was exacerbation of symptoms related to the primary disease. The group of patients who were hospitalized in a hospice ward was 17.0%, and many were for the purpose of respite care or trial hospitalization. Because some patients are reluctant to be hospitalized in a hospice ward, it was thought that adding an option of hospitalizing in a cooperating hospital to the homecare support system would give patients peace of mind. In order to increase the use of homecare from now on, it was thought that even further education about homecare is necessary in addition to a support system of cooperating hospitals.