Health Care : Current Reviews

A preliminary finding of implementing community-based hospice palliative care

Global Healthcare & Fitness Summit

July 20-22, 2015 San Francisco, USA

Lai-Chu See

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Health Care: Current Reviews

Abstract:

Background: Hospice palliative care is a type of care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms
provides support to the emotional and spiritual needs for the patients and their family and assists their family to cope with
patients’ dying. Because the shortage of hospice wards, the Public Health Department of New Taipei City Government initiated
a program of community-based hospice palliative care since July 2013.
Aims: To revise the program of community-based hospice palliative care by performing a questionnaire survey to those who
received the service in New Taipei City from July to December, 2013.
Methods: Secondary data analysis was performed and descriptive statistics was mainly used.
Results: Data of 40 patients (54.1%) who completed the service were used for this study. Cancer was the predominant disease
(72.5%) among these patients. Two-third had signed the consent form of not resuscitating and not applying life-sustaining
medical treatment respectively and only20.0% had signed the form of hospice service in advance. Support and listening was
needed most (patients 50.0%, family 66.7%) followed by explaining the disease status and prognosis (patients 29.2%, family
45.8%), assisting accomplishment of patients’ wish (patients 20.8%, family 20.8%). Many items in preparation of good death
were accomplished. Status of physical, emotion, spirit was worse before death. Most families were satisfied with the service.
Conclusion: Community-based hospice palliative care is an option for terminally-ill patients. Support, listening, explaining
the disease status and prognosis are the major needs but with low accomplishment.

Biography :

Lai-Chu See has completed his Ph.D. of epidemiology at National Taiwan University on 1997. She is a full professor, at the Department of Public Health, College of
Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taiwan. She has published 289 papers (122 in Chinese and 167 in English). She has been serving as an editorial board member
of International Journal of Surgery.