Abstract
Over a decade ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) presented Ensuring Quality Cancer Care in the United States, with recommendations for change (IOM, 1999). However, barriers to integrating palliative care (PC) to achieve high-quality care in cancer still remain. As novel therapeutic agents evolve, patients are living longer, and advanced cancer is now considered a chronic illness. In addition to complex symptom concerns, patients and family caregivers are burdened with psychological, social, and spiritual distress. Furthermore, data show that PC continues to be underutilized and inaccessible, and current innovative models of integrating PC into standard cancer care lack uniformity. The aim of this article is to address the existing barriers in implementing PC into our cancer care delivery system and discuss how the oncology advanced practice nurse plays an essential role in providing high-quality cancer care. We also review the IOM recommendations; highlight the work done by the National Consensus Project in promoting quality PC; and discuss a National Cancer Institute-funded program project currently conducted at a National Comprehensive Cancer Center, "Palliative Care for Quality of Life and Symptoms Concerns in Lung Cancer," which serves as a model to promote high-quality care for patients and their families.
Highlights
There has been significant progress made over the past decade in implementing palliative care (PC) in the United States, barriers to its integration for all cancer patients still exist (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2013)
In 2011, research conducted by a national poll commissioned by the Centers to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), with the American Cancer Society (ACS) Cancer Action Network (ACS-CAN), assessed the opinion of both the public and physicians in regard to PC (CAPC, 2011)
The findings provided a guide for communicating with consumers and policymakers on the benefits and future direction of PC (CAPC, 2011)
Summary
CATHERINE DEL FERRARO, MSN, ED, PHN, RN, CCRP, BETTY FERRELL, PhD, FAAN, MA, FPCN, CHPN, CARIN VAN ZYL, MD, FACEP, BONNIE FREEMAN, DNPC, RN, ANP-BC, and LINDA KLEIN, JD. Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article
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