Palliative care in the home for the family physician: a teaching hospital model

Abstract

This paper describes a house-call protocol used to teach family-practice residents the principles of palliative care. The protocol addresses the needs of cancer patients attending a major teaching hospital. The "eligibility criteria", "agenda in the home", "patient and family information sheet", "features of the therapeutic alliance", and "bereavement follow-up mini-agenda" provide the resident family physician with a framework. The protocol and concept of "successful death" are illustrated with a case history. (The term ;we' in reference to a home visit denotes the author and a resident or a member of the hospital nursing staff.).