Julia Ambler
Umduduzi – Hospice Care for Children, SouthAfrica
Title: Through the introduction of palliative care, quality of life has improved and the course of illness has been positively influenced thus leading to an increase in referrals
Biography
Biography: Julia Ambler
Abstract
Palliative care should be provided from the point of diagnosis and beyond death. However within the South African context, palliative care is poorly understood. Many practitioners believe it to be synonymous with end of life care or ‘giving up’ and are thus reluctant to refer early to the team. Through our work we have come to realise that this misunderstanding is common and is not specific to any discipline . In addition to this, palliative care is not a recognised speciality in South Africa hence there are limited numbers of health professionals trained in palliative care. As they cannot specialise in the field, there are no government posts. Currently almost all palliative care services are offered by the not-for-profit / non-governmental sectors. (NPO/NGO). The authors have compiled a retrospective case study analysis of their patient base. They have explored how presenting palliative care cases to health care professionals at academic meetings has led to increased referrals. Referrals are also being made earlier in the course of illness. Health care professionals, when they have seen the benefits of palliative care, are more inclined to recognise the need for a palliative care approach and refer earlier. Through their interactions with the palliative care team, health care professionals have been empowered and are more willing to provide palliative care themselves, accessing the team for telephonic support. Discussing and presenting such case studies with and to health care professionals improves referrals and thus improves access to palliative care.