RESUMO
Empirical indications show that specialised out-patient palliative care (SAPV), introduced in Germany in 2007, allows critically ill and dying patients to pass away within their own home even under complex symptoms. SAPV avoids emergency and hospital interferences, and the patient's wish to stay at home until the very end can be respected in most cases. The performance of SAPV is not solely focused on medical and patient-care aspects. It includes consulting and coordination work and also psycho-social support both of patients and family members. Within this framework, different active factors could be identified that are essential for high-quality care. Furthermore, the results show that the general ambulant care commodities on site determine the need, the extent and even the efficiency of SAPV. At the same time, SAPV changes also the respective care environment: it changes the roles of previous care providers and offers new resources, though not all existing resources (e. g., hospice services) are taken into account.