[The present status of home care medicine and regional medical co-operation at a regional cancer base hospital].

Kohka Public Hospital(KPH), approved as a regional cancer base hospital in February 2008, has concentrated on cancer treatment and care. KPH developed a Division of Home Care Medicine last year. A home care doctor visited and treated various patients, including cancer patients by co-operating with the Visiting Nurse Station; this resulted in an increase in home care patients but not of home deaths. To increase the cases of home care medicine, we believe that collaboration with other institutes and the creation of a regional network conference consisting of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dental doctors, home helpers, and regional administrators is necessary. Via the conference, we recognized the need to obtain more information and create a system of collaborative home medication and care for cancer patients.

[The present situation of cancer patient's death at home whereas the hospital primarily engages in acute physical disorders].

Kohka Public Hospital(KPH), located in the southeast district of Shiga Prefecture, has been recognized for playing a major role in the care of acute physical disorders. KPH is also expected to have a central role in cancer treatment in the regional medical district. We have practiced home care on terminal cancer patients since before the establishment of palliative care team at KPH in 2008. The Visiting Nurse Station treated a total of 82 terminal cancer patients from 2008 through 2010 fiscal year. Of these 23 patients we cared for died at home. On the other hand, the Division of Regional Medical Collaboration carried out 23-home visit medication for last 2 years(2009-2010). Of these 23-home visits, they cared for 7 patients who died at home. The majority of the patients, as well as families, wished that they would have liked to be re-hospitalized at KPH in their terminal stage. Under the consideration of these results, we established a Division of Home Care Medicine this year and would intend to cooperate and to take care of the cancer patients not only at KPH, but also at various other places in cooperation with the regional medical resources and welfare after creating a medical network system for cancer treatment and care.