The Medical journal of Australia
-
Comparative Study
Palliative care in a general teaching hospital. 1. Assessment of needs.
To assess the palliative care needs and the results of treatment of patients with terminal cancer admitted to a general teaching hospital. ⋯ One-third of patients with terminal cancer in a general teaching hospital received inadequate pain relief; the reasons for this included lack of medical expertise in the use of analgesics for chronic cancer pain and the frequent use of analgesia given only "as required". The underuse of allied health services, the infrequent documentation of psychological issues and the observation that only a small proportion of patients were able to die outside hospital all underline the need for a coordinated multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with terminal cancer.