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Snapshot of an acute palliative care unit in a tertiary cancer hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2013

Akhila Reddy ,
Marieberta Vidal ,
Maxine de la Cruz ,
Sriram Yennurajalingam  and
Eduardo Bruera
Akhila Reddy*
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Marieberta Vidal
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Maxine de la Cruz
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Sriram Yennurajalingam
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Eduardo Bruera
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Akhila Reddy, Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, Unit 1414, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030. E-mail: asreddy@mdanderson.org
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Abstract

Most palliative care (PC) programs in the United States provide consultation services that assist the primary medical team with issues ranging from controlling patients' symptoms to initiating end-of-life discussions. This approach may be sufficient to address many patients' needs. However, for certain patients with complex medical and psychosocial issues, a better alternative is a more streamlined approach that can be provided in an acute palliative care unit (APCU), where the PC staff assumes the role of the primary team. An APCU is a specialized unit that delivers highly sophisticated care with professionals from various disciplines working together to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. However, descriptions of the process of delivering PC in the APCU are limited. In this special report, we portray a single day with a series of patients whose care was managed at our APCU to illustrate the unique components of an APCU that allow holistic care for patients with multiple complex medical and psychosocial issues.

Keywords

Acute palliative care unitSupportive oncologyEnd-of-life careSymptom managementInterdisciplinary palliative care
Type
Case Report
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , August 2014 , pp. 331 - 337
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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