What must Iran do for Palliative care? A systematized review

Area of Science:

• Medical Sciences
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to patient care.
• Successful implementation of palliative medicine programs requires understanding key principles.
• Global initiatives aim to expand palliative care services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the essential principles for successful implementation of palliative medicine programs globally.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for establishing palliative care services in various countries.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of articles published between January 1, 2009, and January 20, 2019.
• Searches conducted across major scientific databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, etc.).
• Adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for article selection.

Main Results:

• The World Health Organization outlines four phases for service expansion: national policy, healthcare and public education, and pain relief.
• Two development scenarios exist: bottom-up and top-down approaches.
• Progress is noted, but significant barriers remain, including lack of knowledge, political will, and inadequate training.

Conclusions:

• Successful palliative medicine implementation necessitates cultural change, public and professional education, political backing, and robust policies.
• Overcoming obstacles such as insufficient training, biased attitudes, and low policy priority is crucial.
• A comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy is required to make palliative medicine accessible worldwide.