[Dubrovnik at the crossroads of the traditional hospital and the modern concept of hospice units].

A short reminiscence of medical history in ancient Dubrovnik inspires for sustainable development of health care system and social care for the future. The main goal of the research is to confirm the necessity to establish hospice units in Dubrovnik, within an organized palliative care. Palliative care program offers preservation of the optimal quality of life for patients with advanced disease and very limited prognosis. Out of the total figure of the death-rate in the Dubrovnik area (1996-2001), singled-out were groups of special interest to the palliative care: oncologic patients and geriatric population. According to the results, only 14% of the death-rate in the Dubrovnik area were patients who did not belong to the mentioned groups. Patients who are in the terminal phase of their life and are not hospitalized have a greater need for an organized palliative care, due to the fact that permanent expert medical care is not always available to them. Significant percentage of geriatric population and oncologic patients dies out of Dubrovnik hospital.