La estrategia en cuidados paliativos del sistema nacional de salud

The main objective of the Palliative Care Strategy, included in the Quality Plan of the Health Ministry, is to establish commitments on the part of the Autonomous Communities in order to contribute to the homogeneity and enhancement of the palliative care provided in the National Health System. The target population includes oncological as well as no oncological patients in advanced and terminal stages and the criteria focuses on the intervention based on the needs, rather than on a specific period of survival. After analyzing the critical aspects of the palliative care, a Technical Comittee of experts, an Institutional Committee and the Quality Agency established five strategic lines: integral care, organization and coordination, autonomy, training and research. An integral-integrated model, broken down by healthcare districts, has been proposed, with the coordinated participation of all assistance levels and the intervention of palliative care teams in complex situations. The first evaluation, scheduled for June 2009, will include the elaboration of a functional map that will show the different structures and resources, quantitative indicators as assistance coverage, consumption of opioids, number of trained professionals and research projects and a qualitative report on the development of the objectives and recommendations