Keywords: Palliative care; rural medicine; home care
Background:
The palliative care net in Italy was established in 2010. The province of Modena, Emilia Romagna region, is divided into nine districts. The district of Pavullo nel Frignano extends for 689,53 square kilometers and has a population of 41925 people, with a population density of 60 people per square kilometer. Moreover, local altitude varies from 400 m to 1500 m. The old age index is 1.9.
Aim of the study:
The aim of this study is to describe the organisation of the home palliative care net in the area of the Frignano.
Methodology:
The home palliative care net in the Frignano is made up of: 22 local GPs, 4 nurses, a specialist doctor in palliative care and a psycologist. The net is activated following a specific request by the hospital or the local GPs. During the first encounter, the patient’s GP and the net’s nurse meet the patient to discuss care objectives, the patient’s requests and beliefs, the presence or absence of disabling symptoms and the settings of a specific therapy. The subsequent follow up is then organised and when the patient’s condition gets worse, it is possible to organise the end-of-life phase at home.
Results:
Data was collected focusing on the population of people over 65 who had been taken care by the home palliative care net in 2023.
1344 people were enrolled by the net, with a prevalence of 12,7%. In comparison with data from 2022, there was a prevalent increase of 1,3%. The total amount of home visits in 2023 was 2813.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, the palliative care net in the Frignano represents an essential tool of Primary Care improving the quality of life of patients and their families. This is achieved through prevention and relief of suffering via early identification, assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial, ethical and spiritual problems.
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