The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer's report on the state of palliative and end-of-life care for people with cancer finds patients who could benefit from palliative care aren't being identified, assessed and referred early enough in their cancer experience in order for appropriate care to be part of treatment as soon as possible. The report points to data indicating that people with cancer who die in acute-care hospitals don't always receive inpatient palliative care early in their illness. Research suggests that starting palliative care earlier in routine care and treatment planning, and providing this care in the community if the patient desires, can:
- Reduce unplanned ED visits - leaving needed resources to treat emergency patients;
- Reduce the number of avoidable hospital admissions and shorten hospital stays - which will reduce use of health system resources;
- Reduce avoidable physical and emotional distress for patients and their families; and
- Increase the opportunity, for patients with terminal cancer, of dying fully supported at home, when desired.
The report reinforces the benefits of having community-based services available, and the Partnership has funded the Paramedics Providing Palliative Care at Home Program in N.S. and P.E.I., an initiative that trains paramedics to provide palliative services to people at home that has been shown to reduce unnecessary hospital visits. The Partnership is working to scale up this program and bring it to other provinces and territories.
Autres nouvelles:
Selon un nouveau rapport, les soins palliatifs ne font pas encore systématiquement partie de l'expérience complète des patients atteints de cancer - Partenariat canadien contre le cancer