TY - JOUR
T1 - Palliative care in Japan
T2 - Current status and a nationwide challenge to improve palliative care by the cancer control act and the Outreach Palliative Care Trial of Integrated Regional Model (OPTIM) study
AU - Yamagishi, Akemi
AU - Morita, Tatsuya
AU - Miyashita, Mitsunori
AU - Akizuki, Nobuya
AU - Kizawa, Yoshiyuki
AU - Shirahige, Yutaka
AU - Akiyama, Miki
AU - Kei Hirai, Hirai
AU - Kudo, Tadashi
AU - Yamaguchi, Takuhiro
AU - Fukushima, Asuka
AU - Eguchi, Kenji
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - Palliative care is an essential part of integrated cancer treatment. To improve palliative care throughout Japan, a nationwide demonstration project, the Outreach Palliative Care Trial of Integrated Regional Model (OPTIM) study, is ongoing. This article reviews the current status and the problems of palliative care in Japan and introduces the OPTIM study. Although the number of palliative care services is increasing, empirical evidence shows the quality of life of cancer patients is still inadequate. The OPTIM study is an intervention trial targeting 4 areas across Japan. Primary end points are quality of care reported by patients as well as the bereaved family, number of patients who received specialized palliative care services, and place of death. The interventions are comprehensively designed to cover all areas identified by the national task force. The OPTIM study will contribute to improve patients' quality of life by proposing a regional palliative care model suitable for Japan.
AB - Palliative care is an essential part of integrated cancer treatment. To improve palliative care throughout Japan, a nationwide demonstration project, the Outreach Palliative Care Trial of Integrated Regional Model (OPTIM) study, is ongoing. This article reviews the current status and the problems of palliative care in Japan and introduces the OPTIM study. Although the number of palliative care services is increasing, empirical evidence shows the quality of life of cancer patients is still inadequate. The OPTIM study is an intervention trial targeting 4 areas across Japan. Primary end points are quality of care reported by patients as well as the bereaved family, number of patients who received specialized palliative care services, and place of death. The interventions are comprehensively designed to cover all areas identified by the national task force. The OPTIM study will contribute to improve patients' quality of life by proposing a regional palliative care model suitable for Japan.
KW - Neoplasms
KW - Palliative care
KW - Regional trial
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=54249150390&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=54249150390&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1049909108318568
DO - 10.1177/1049909108318568
M3 - Review article
C2 - 18599873
AN - SCOPUS:54249150390
SN - 1049-9091
VL - 25
SP - 412
EP - 418
JO - American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
JF - American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
IS - 5
ER -
