Hospitals need standards for palliative care
Researchers at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and RAND Corp. examined medical records of nearly 500 terminally ill patients to determine whether they were properly advised with an end-of-life discussion at the appropriate time. The report concluded that in most cases, the discussions did not take place when necessary or with the frequency required to help both patient and family understand, care for the patient and prepare for death.
The report suggested that no systematic, clinically detailed measurement of the quality of care planning, palliation and symptom management among dying inpatients exists to guide palliative care teams in advising their patients.
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