Korean J Hosp Palliat Care.  2012 Dec;15(4):188-192.

Integration of Palliative Care in the Hospital Setting

Affiliations
  • 1The UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, USA. rtucker@uabmc.edu

Abstract

Palliative medicine has shown demonstrated benefit for patients with serious illness, their families, and hospital systems. As such, the demand for palliative care services is growing at a fast pace, and health care facilities frequently struggle to develop and implement effective and sustainable methods of providing this care. As with any new system, challenges and barriers naturally exist to instituting palliative care. Undertaking careful assessment, planning, and resource allocation can provide the greatest likelihood of success when developing these novel yet much needed models of care. This summary paper offers a qualitative overview of the potential benefits and the rationale to implement robust palliative care systems. We briefly review the history of palliative medicine in the broadest sense and address several seminal works from the US palliative care literature. Core practices to establish and advance palliative medicine are suggested. Commentary is provided on some of the particular barriers to palliative system development that may need to be addressed in the context of Korean medical culture. Collectively, we hope this overview can contribute to a framework within which such research and development can occur, leading to increasingly effective and sustainable palliative medicine in Korea.

Keyword

Palliative medicine; Delivery of health care; Cultural characteristics; Korea

MeSH Terms

Cultural Characteristics
Delivery of Health Care
Humans
Korea
Mortuary Practice
Palliative Care
Resource Allocation
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