| Theme | Palliative Medicine for Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Present States of and Problems with Palliative Care Units in Japan | |
| Publish Date | 2004/01 | |
| Author | Akihiko Watanabe | Department of Anesthesia, Higashi Sapporo Hospital |
| [ Summary ] | The present states of and problems with palliative care units (PCUs) in Japan was addressed. Japan's first hospice unit was set up in 1981, and since then the number of PCUs has rapidly increased over the past two decades. As of June 2003, there were 117 official PCUs across Japan. Many patients and their families are willing to accept these developments. However, it is possible that increasing the number of PCUs may result in decreasing the quality of hospice/palliative care. Thus, quality, rather than quantity, will become the essential factor for hospice/palliative care in the future. In general, it is recognized that the subject of palliative medicine/care is those patients whose diseases are not responsive to curative treatment. Patients admitted into PCUs are usually end stage cancer patients under the present circumstances. However, the current concept of palliative medicine/care is changing in that it offers a support system to help improve patients' lives whenever they need this care, even early on in the course of their illness. Therefore, the roles of PCUs will also change and deal with these problems from the early stages to the end stage for cancer patients in the near future. |
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