gms | German Medical Science

G-I-N Conference 2012

Guidelines International Network

22.08 - 25.08.2012, Berlin

National guideline for palliative care for oncological patients in Germany: concept and integration into disease-specific guidelines

Meeting Abstract

  • S. Simon - Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • A. Pralong - Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • V. Geffe - Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  • C. Bausewein - Department of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, Great Britain
  • R. Voltz - Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

Guidelines International Network. G-I-N Conference 2012. Berlin, 22.-25.08.2012. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2012. DocO24

doi: 10.3205/12gin056, urn:nbn:de:0183-12gin0564

Veröffentlicht: 10. Juli 2012

© 2012 Simon et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Background: As a young medical speciality, palliative care needs evidence and consensus-based guidelines to improve the quality of care provided to patients with life-limiting diseases.

Objective: To describe the concept of a national palliative care guideline for oncological patients in Germany and ways of integration of this cross-disease concept into disease-specific guidelines.

Methods: Key elements for structuring the guideline were (1) the main categories of palliative care needs and (2) the available scientific evidence by recent systematic reviews or international guidelines. Within the national oncological guideline funding program, it was agreed to cover topics in this 'horizontal' guideline independently from the underlying disease entity. All other 'vertical' disease specific guidelines are now asked to integrate their entity-specific palliative care aspects.

Results: This palliative care guideline will cover seven main topics: four clinical symptoms (pain, dyspnea, constipation, depression) and three topics considering patients' broader needs (communication, dying phase, organisation of palliative care services). It will focus on oncological patients. However, results from systematic literature searches conducted within the project may serve later as the basis for further guidelines, e.g. for patients with neurological or pulmonary diseases, or for a national disease management guideline.

Discussion: Key challenges for a guideline on palliative care are the integration into other disease-specific guidelines and the identification of topics with enough scientific evidence in the broad range of palliative care issues.

Implications: The concept of the palliative care guideline presented here may serve as a model to others interested in setting up a cross-disease orientated guideline.