The Overview of Hospice Care as Urologist

Huh, Jung Sik

Abstract

The average life expectancy in Korea is increasing with new medical technology and complete understanding of pathophysiology of diseases in human. Physician should provide good and appropriate treatment to patients and also are responsible for offering medical services. Also, needs to improve the quality of life and death for patients with end-of-life have been increased. Urologists are interested in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the urogenital system disease but are not interested in the end of terminal cancer patients. Cancer is the most common cause of mortality rate in Korea. Cancer affects individuals, families, and society. Hospice and palliative care is a kind of portion of medicine to take care patients with far-advanced diseases and short-life expectancy, especially less than 6 months, for whom the focus of care is relief of suffering physical problems, social problems, and mental problems, and improvement of the quality of life. It takes a lot of efforts to finish the end-of life in patient. Physician alone can hardly provide all parts of end-of-life cares and cares can be provided through hospice care team including physician, social worker, volunteer, and priest. Hospice and palliative care still take a care for only a small group for dying patients. There have been few data for hospice and palliative care in urology. This review is to summary the concept of hospice for end-of life care and to help understanding hospice and the laws related to hospice to urologists who take care of patient with urogenital tract cancer.