Development of palliative care services in Turkey

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Health Services Research
• Oncology Supportive Care

Background:

• Palliative care (PC) is a holistic approach requiring public awareness, professional training, and health system integration.
• Varying PC models exist globally, influenced by national health system structures.
• This study assesses the current state of PC services in Turkey, a nation with strong policy support for PC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current status and provision of inpatient palliative care (PC) services in Turkey.
• To identify key demographic and clinical characteristics of patients receiving PC.
• To inform future development and integration of PC services within the Turkish healthcare system.

Main Methods:

• Data collected via official correspondence with the Ministry of Health and hospital authorities.
• Analysis included patient numbers, bed availability, diagnoses, hospitalization duration, primary symptoms, opioid use, discharge locations, and mortality rates.
• A 26-month period of inpatient PC data was evaluated.

Main Results:

• 48,953 patients received inpatient PC in 199 centers with 2,429 beds over 26 months.
• Cancer was the most frequent diagnosis (35%), and pain the most common symptom (25%).
• Opioid use was reported in 26.7% of patients.

Conclusions:

• Significant inpatient palliative care (PC) provision exists in Turkey, primarily for cancer patients experiencing pain.
• Further development is needed to enhance PC training and ensure service continuity beyond hospital settings, including home care.
• Strengthening organizational structures is crucial for expanding access to comprehensive PC.