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[Specialized palliative care in Denmark lacks capacity and accessibility]
Helle Timm1, Tina Broby Mikkelsen, Lene Jarlbæk
1helle.ussing.timm@rsyd.dk.
Ugeskrift for Laeger
|June 27, 2017
Summary
Specialized palliative care (SPC) in Denmark is insufficient, with only 55 units available in 2016. Access to this vital care is also unevenly distributed across regions.
Area of Science:
- Palliative Care Medicine
- Healthcare Services Research
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Specialized palliative care (SPC) is crucial for patients with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
- SPC units also provide essential support to generalist palliative care services.
- European Association for Palliative Care guidelines recommend a higher capacity than Denmark's 2016 provision.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the capacity and accessibility of Specialized Palliative Care (SPC) units in Denmark.
- To compare Denmark's SPC capacity against European recommendations.
- To identify disparities in SPC accessibility across Danish regions.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive analysis of SPC unit capacity in Denmark as of spring 2016.
- Inclusion of data on hospices, palliative care teams, and palliative hospital wards.
- Analysis of patient demographics receiving SPC, noting cancer versus non-cancer diagnoses.
Main Results:
- Denmark possessed 55 SPC units in spring 2016, falling short of European recommendations.
- A significant majority (96%) of patients receiving SPC were cancer patients, despite many non-cancer deaths.
- Unequal distribution of SPC accessibility was observed across different Danish regions.
Conclusions:
- Denmark's Specialized Palliative Care capacity in 2016 was insufficient to meet recommended levels.
- The current SPC provision predominantly serves cancer patients, indicating a potential gap for non-cancer patients.
- Regional disparities in accessibility highlight the need for improved equitable distribution of palliative care services.
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