Palliative care development in the Asia-Pacific region: an international survey from the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN)

Yamaguchi T 1 , Kuriya M 2 , Morita T 3 , Agar M 4 , Choi YS 5 , Goh C 6 Show all authors , Lingegowda KB 7 , Lim R 8 , Liu RK 9 , MacLeod R 10 , Ocampo R 11 , Cheng SY 12 , Phungrassami T 13 , Nguyen YP 14 , Tsuneto S 15

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of General Internal Medicine and Palliative Care Team, Teine Keijinkai Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
  • 2 Seirei Hospice, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan
  • 3 Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan
  • 4 Department of Palliative Care, Braeside Hospital, Sydney, Australia
  • 5 Department of Family Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
  • 6 Department of Palliative Medicine, National Cancer Center Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
  • 7 Department of Palliative Medicine, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
  • 8 Palliative Care Unit, Selayang Hospital, Selayang, Malaysia
  • 9 Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • 10 Hammond Care and Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  • 11 Madre de Amor Hospice Foundation Inc., Los Banos, Philippines
  • 12 Department of Family Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 13 Division of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
  • 14 Department of Palliative Care and Pain Management, National Cancer Hospital, Ha Noi, Vietnam
  • 15 Department of Palliative Medicine, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
BMJ Support Palliat Care, 2017 Mar;7(1):23-31.
PMID: 25012126 DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2013-000588

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although palliative care is an important public healthcare issue worldwide, the current situation in the Asia-Pacific region has not been systematically evaluated.

OBJECTIVES: This survey aimed to clarify the current status of palliative care in the Asia-Pacific region.

METHODS: Questionnaires were sent to a representative physician of each member country/region of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). The questionnaire examined palliative care service provision, information regarding physician certification in palliative care, the availability of essential drugs for palliative care listed by the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) and the regulation of opioid-prescribing practice.

RESULTS: Of the 14 member countries/regions of the APHN, 12 (86%) responded. Some form of specialist palliative care services had developed in all the responding countries/regions. Eight member countries/regions had physician certifications for palliative care. Most essential drugs for palliative care listed by the IAHPC were available, whereas hydromorphone, oxycodone and transmucosal fentanyl were unavailable in most countries/regions. Six member countries/regions required permission to prescribe and receive opioids.

CONCLUSIONS: The development of palliative care is in different stages across the surveyed countries/regions in the Asia-Pacific region. Data from this survey can be used as baseline data for monitoring the development of palliative care in this region.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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