ABSTRACT
The palliative care team of Tokai University Hospital began its activities in 2004. After several changes in its organization, the activities of the palliative care team have become well known, and this department has become very active. Palliative care at our hospital has now broadened its scope and now includes both inpatients and outpatients. Initially, the patients primarily consisted of terminal-stage cancer patients, but in recent years patients who are being treated for cancer have also been included in the palliative care department. In terms of our collaboration with the region, the health care providers responsible for palliative care are making continued efforts to establish good relationships through regular scheduled palliative care training workshops and study sessions. Regional collaborations with oncologists is the ultimate/primary goal. As an educational institution we conduct clinical practical training and clinical training in core hospitals and private practices with medical students and junior resident physicians. However, few of these training institutions are home-care-supporting clinics or home-care-supporting hospitals. It remains unclear whether medical students and resident physicians are involved in home care. Knowledge of palliative care has gradually increased among the health care providers at our hospital. However, the dissemination of knowledge about home care among medical students, resident physicians, and oncologists is found to be lacking; hence, we have made this our goal. Another goal of ours would be to train existing physicians to equip them with knowledge and experience necessary for dealing with home care.
