Department of Family Medicine (I.J., A.Q.), Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Department of Family Medicine (I.J., A.Q.), Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022 Aug;64(2):178-185. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.03.018. Epub 2022 Apr 18.
Palliative care (PC) is an important aspect of providing holistic care to patients and their families who are dealing with a serious or life limiting illness. Medical community and public poorly understand the implications and benefits of these services. Unfortunately, because of this, PC remains a neglected area of healthcare in the most institutions of Pakistan.
We sought to review the current structure, barriers in context of growing need for PC, possible means to overcome these challenges and future perspectives at tertiary care hospital.
Retrospective longitudinal cross-sectional study was done using data from 2017 to 2019 in the section of PC at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH).
PC program has been self-sustainable and serving 3747 patients in 2017-2019. The results show that palliative care services (PCS) are well integrated for oncology with all three models of PCS delivery. Most of the patients opted for comfort code during hospital stay and preferred end-of-life-care at home. We received less referral from outside the hospital and other specialties but received more self-referrals surprisingly. Home-based-palliative-care was also a key aspect of the program. PCS providing quality of care and nearly reaching target goal of quality indicators.
The enormous burden of life-threatening illnesses is associated with physical and psychosocial sufferings, which explains the illustrious need for PC in developing countries such as Pakistan. PCS at AKUH initiated in 2017. Nevertheless, there are challenges to service expansion and progress, which are being addressed.
姑息治疗（PC）是为患有严重或生命有限疾病的患者及其家属提供整体护理的重要方面。医学界和公众对这些服务的含义和益处了解甚少。不幸的是，由于这一点，PC 在巴基斯坦的大多数机构仍然是医疗保健中被忽视的领域。
我们旨在审查在PC 需求不断增长的背景下，当前的结构、障碍，以及克服这些挑战的可能方法和未来在三级保健医院的展望。
使用 2017 年至 2019 年在 Aga Khan 大学医院（AKUH）PC 科的数据，进行回顾性纵向横断面研究。
PC 项目在 2017-2019 年期间已实现自给自足，服务了 3747 名患者。结果表明，姑息治疗服务（PCS）与所有三种 PCS 交付模式很好地整合在一起。大多数患者在住院期间选择舒适方案，并更愿意在家中接受临终关怀。我们从医院外部和其他专业科室收到的转诊较少，但令人惊讶的是收到了更多的自我转诊。家庭姑息治疗也是该项目的一个关键方面。PCS 提供了高质量的护理，几乎达到了质量指标的目标。
危及生命的疾病带来的巨大负担与身体和心理社会痛苦有关，这解释了在巴基斯坦等发展中国家对 PC 的迫切需求。AKUH 于 2017 年启动了 PCS。然而，服务扩展和进展面临挑战，正在解决这些挑战。
