Promoting further use of palliative care in cancer care centers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Palliative care has changed since its inception with Dr Balfour Mount in 1976. It is moving slowly from the care of the dying (which is still an important part of palliative care) and crisis intervention to integrated care with oncology early in the course of advanced cancer. Several studies have demonstrated the advantages to this approach. In this review we will discuss indicators of structure process and outcomes, outcomes to integration, components to successful integration of care and barriers to integrated care. Family financial toxicity related to cancer care is a growing problem that will need to be measured as an outcome to integrated care