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Objectives: Patients needing palliative care prefer to be cared for in the comfort of their homes. Although private home health-care services are entering the health-care ecosystem in India, for the majority it is still institution-based. Here, we describe a model of home-based palliative care developed by the Tata Memorial Hospital, a government tertiary care cancer hospital. Materials and Methods: Data on patient demographics, services provided and outcomes were collected prospectively for patients for the year November 2013 - October 2019. In the 1st year, local general physicians were trained in palliative care principles, bereavement services and out of hours telephone support were provided. In the 2nd year, data from 1st year were analysed and discussed among the study investigators to introduce changes. In the 3rd year, the updated patient assessment forms were implemented in practice. In the 4th year, the symptom management protocol was implemented. In the 5th and 6th year, updated process of patient assessment data and symptom management protocol was implemented as a complete model of care. Results: During the 6 years, 250 patients were recruited, all suffering from advanced cancer. Home care led to good symptom control, improvement of quality of life for patients and increased satisfaction of caregivers during the care process and into bereavement. Conclusion: A home-based model of care spared patients from unnecessary hospital visits and was successful in providing client centred care. A multidisciplinary team composition allowed for holistic care and can serve as a model for building palliative care capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
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CONTEXT: Patients with chronic life-limiting conditions on palliative care (PC) prefer to be treated at home. Medical care by family physicians (FPs) reduces demand on costly and busy hospital facilities. Working of PC team in collaboration with FPs is thus helpful in home-based management of patients. AIMS: This study aimed at exploring the extent of knowledge of FPs about PC and the need for additional training. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten FPs from two suburbs of Mumbai, currently served by home care services of a tertiary cancer care center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using exploratory analysis followed by content analysis to develop thematic codes. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: FPs perceive PC as symptom control and psychological support helpful in managing patients with advanced life-limiting illnesses. Further training would help them in PC provision. Such training programs should preferably focus on symptom management and communication skills. There is a need for further research in designing a training module for FPs to get better understanding of the principles of PC.
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INTRODUCTION: Home-based palliative care is an essential model of palliative care that aims to provide continuity of care at patient's own home in an effective and timely manner. This study was a pilot test of triage coding system in home-based palliative care using Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) scale. METHODS: Objective of the study was to evaluate if the triage coding system in home-based palliative care: (a) Facilitated timely intervention, (b) improved symptom control, and (c) avoided hospital deaths. Homecare services were coded as high (Group 1 - ESAS scores ≥7), medium (Group 2 - ESAS scores 4-6), and low (Group 3 - ESAS scores 0-3) priority based on ESAS scores. In high priority group, patients received home visit in 0-3 working days; medium priority group, patients received home visit in 0-10 working days; and low priority group, patients received home visit in 0-15 working days. The triage duration of home visit was arbitrarily decided based on the previous retrospective audit and consensus of the experts involved in prioritization and triaging in home care. RESULTS: "High priority" patients were visited in 2.63 ± 0.75 days; "medium priority" patients were visited in 7.00 ± 1.5 days, and "low priority" patients were visited in 10.54 ± 2.7 days. High and medium priority groups had a statistically significant improvement in most of the ESAS symptoms following palliative home care intervention. Intergroup comparison showed that improvement in symptoms was the highest in high priority group compared to medium and low priority group. There was an 8.5% increase in home and hospice deaths following the introduction of triage coding system. There was a significant decrease in deaths in the hospital in Group 1 (6.3%) (χ (2) = 27.3, P < 0.001) compared to Group 2 (28.6%) and Group 3 (15.4%). Group 2 had more hospital deaths. Interval duration from triaging to first intervention was a significant predictor of survival with odds ratio 0.75 indicating that time taken for intervention from triaging was more significantly affecting survival than group triaging. CONCLUSION: Pilot study of testing triaging coding system in home-based palliative care showed, triage coding system: (a) Facilitated early palliative home care intervention, (b) improved symptom control, (c) decreased hospital deaths, predominantly in high priority group, and (d) time taken for intervention from triaging was a significant predictor of survival.
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BACKGROUND: Home-based specialist palliative care services are developed to meet the needs of the patients in advanced stage of cancer at home with physical symptoms and distress. Specialist home care services are intended to improve symptom control and quality of life, enable patients to stay at home, and avoid unnecessary hospital admission. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 690 new cases registered under home-based palliative care service in the year 2012 were prospectively studied to assess the impact of specialist home-based services using Edmonton symptom assessment scale (ESAS) and other parameters. RESULTS: Out of the 690 registered cases, 506 patients received home-based palliative care. 50.98% patients were cared for at home, 28.85% patients needed hospice referral and 20.15% patients needed brief period of hospitalization. All patients receiving specialist home care had good relief of physical symptoms (P < 0.005). 83.2% patients received out of hours care (OOH) through liaising with local general practitioners; 42.68% received home based bereavement care and 91.66% had good bereavement outcomes. CONCLUSION: Specialist home-based palliative care improved symptom control, health-related communication and psychosocial support. It promoted increased number of home-based death, appropriate and early hospice referral, and averted needless hospitalization. It improved bereavement outcomes, and caregiver satisfaction.
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Smartphone applications in healthcare delivery are a novel concept and is rapidly gaining ground in all fields of medicine. The modes of e-communications such as e-mail, short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS) and WhatsApp in palliative care provides a means for quick tele-consultation, information sharing, cuts the waiting time and facilitates initiation of the treatment at the earliest. It also forms a means of communication with local general practitioner and local health care provider such that continuity of the care is maintained. It also minimizes needless transport of the patient to hospital, prevents needless hospitalization and investigations and minimizes cost and logistics involved in the care process. The two case studies provided highlights the use of smartphone application like WhatsApp in palliative care practice and demonstrates its utility.
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Paediatric palliative care is a holistic approach aimed at addressing the complex issues related to the care of children and families facing chronic life limiting illnesses. The needs of children are unique and often quite different from those of adults receiving palliative care. This review article outlines some of the salient features of paediatric palliative care which are relevant to all professionals caring for children with life limiting illnesses in their practice.
