Characteristics of the Last Hospital Stay in Terminal Patients at an Acute Care Hospital in Colombia

Abstract

In Colombia, most palliative care is provided in acute care hospitals. In those settings, a palliative care approach could be limited because of a disease-oriented approach instead of patient-centered care. To know the framework of a typical Colombian university hospital that provides palliative care services. In a retrospective manner, the medical records of deceased patients during 2006 were revisited. Most patients were not treated by palliative care specialists, so curative-oriented treatment were common among these patients. In acute hospitals, palliative care teams should participate in the care of patients at the start of treatment.