Publication:

Profile and pattern of care among palliative home care patients under a tertiary care hospital in central Kerala, south India

Background Increase in aging population and epidemiological shift in disease profile to non-communicable diseases have led to an increase in need for palliative care. But the high demand has not been met adequately with increase in palliative care service providers. The aim of this study was to describe the profile and pattern of care among palliative home care patients registered under a tertiary care private hospital in south India.

Methods Data was extracted from the palliative home care case sheets regarding patient profile, analgesic usage, performance status (for oncology patients) and visit from other home care services. The patient case sheets were reviewed after 3 months to reassess the variables.

Results Data was collected from 60 case sheets of patients registered under palliative home care department. After 3 months follow up 12 patients expired. Out of the total patients 75% of them (45) were geriatric patients with age more than 60 years. About half the patients were onco palliative patients (48.3%). The primary caretaker in most cases were children, as most persons were in the geriatric age group (41.6%). About half of the patients were not on any analgesics (55%). More than half of the palliative patients were utilizing services from government palliative care unit regularly (55%).

Conclusions The study throws light into the profile of patients needing palliative care attached to a tertiary care private hospital and may be used as a basis for creating a sustainable model for providing palliative care services from other hospitals.