Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Note on drugs and abbreviations
- Section I Palliative Management
- Section II Major discomforts in advanced neurological illness
- Section III Major neurological conditions requiring palliation
- Section IV Ethical issues
- Section V Appendices
- 1 Practical aspects of home care
- 2 Characteristics of an effective palliation service
- 3 Suggested further reading
- 4 Medications referred to in the text
- Index
2 - Characteristics of an effective palliation service
from Section V - Appendices
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 January 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Note on drugs and abbreviations
- Section I Palliative Management
- Section II Major discomforts in advanced neurological illness
- Section III Major neurological conditions requiring palliation
- Section IV Ethical issues
- Section V Appendices
- 1 Practical aspects of home care
- 2 Characteristics of an effective palliation service
- 3 Suggested further reading
- 4 Medications referred to in the text
- Index
Summary
AN ACCEPTED PLACE IN NATIONAL HEALTH PLANNING
In many countries, the recognition of palliation as an integral part of the national health effort has been minimal, or slow to develop. Without strong advocacy from within the general community or the health professions there has been little action on the part of government to provide legislation, regulation or funding to support palliation delivery.
Legislation can assist by any one of the following:
Requiring patient consent for both the provision and the withdrawal of medical treatment.
Authorizing the opportunity to write advance directives for future care.
Authorizing the appointment of a medical agent to make decisions on behalf of an incompetent patient.
Government regulation will be required to allow the following:
The ready prescription of palliation medications (e.g. opioids) in community as well as hospital settings.
Subsidizing the availability of palliation medications to the needy.
Funding for community care resources to support home care. This may be through extension of health insurance to cover community care or through a specific allocation for funding home care within the health budget.
The inspection and accreditation of care institutions (including chronic care and aged care facilities) to maintain standards in the provision of palliation.
A designated section within the health bureaucracy to support palliation care in both cancer and non-cancer diseases.
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- Type
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- Information
- Palliative Neurology , pp. 230 - 233Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005