Palliative care approach emphasized by Doctors Nova Scotia

Doctors Nova Scotia is emphasizing a palliative approach to care for patients in Nova Scotia.

“Say you’re diagnosed with COPD, a chronic lung disease. It can be something that is going to shorten your life, so we probably should be starting to think, even early on, about some aspects that, if this is going to shorten your life, what discussions do we need to have, and what things do you need to think about with regards to some of  your goals of care? What kind of things would you like to see happen over time?” Dr. David Henderson, a co-chair of palliative medicine for the organization, said in an interview on Thursday in Elmsdale, N.S.

The organization recently released a position paper on the topic with 10 recommendations on the matter.

READ MORE: New Brunswick announces palliative care strategy framework

Henderson said better planning for death, such as where someone wants to be treated, the better life will be for the patient.

Cheryl Tschupruk, the palliative care integration director for the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) said in an interview in Halifax that the recommendations align well with the work the organization is doing on the same approach.

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“It is shown to improve care and improve outcomes, so anything that we can do to support that is really what we’ll prioritize,” she said of the approach.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It is shown to improve care and improve outcomes, so anything that we can do to support that is really what we'll prioritize," she said of the approach.

The NSHA provides training opportunities to health-care providers, including 400 last year, in a palliative care training programs, among other measures it takes to forward the approach, Tschupruk said.

READ MORE: NS SPCA Palliative Care Program helps animals live final days in loving environment

The organization will take Doctors Nova Scotia’s recommendations into consideration, she said.

Doctors Nova Scotia’s recommendations include:

• Define the roles and core competencies of all health professionals providing palliative care, determine workforce needs, and ensure the system is robust and responsive to changes in demand.
• Ensure all primary care physicians have access to a multidisciplinary palliative care team including palliative care specialists for support, consultation and/or shared care, if and when required.
• Develop guidelines to help identify patients who would benefit from a palliative care approach earlier. These guidelines will assist physicians in determining when and how to transition from chronic care management to a coordinated approach with palliative care.
• Provide ongoing support to providers providing care to people with life-limiting illnesses, including most of the chronic diseases, helping them to recognize and transition to a palliative care approach when appropriate.
• Ensure that palliative care services are distributed equitably and can adjust to meet the changing needs of the population.
• Expand access to residential hospice facilities in areas large enough to support them, and to palliative care or hospice beds to provide an alternative to hospitalization for people whose end-of-life care needs cannot be met at home.

The full list of recommendations is available on the Doctors Nova Scotia website.