Palliative care in Dutch hospitals: A rapid increase in the number of expert teams, a limited number of referrals

Background: Palliative care expert teams in hospitals have positive effects on the quality of life and satisfaction with care of patients with advanced disease. Involvement of these teams in medical care is also associated with substantial cost savings. In the Netherlands, professional standards state that each hospital should have a palliative care team by 2017. We studied the number of hospitals that have a palliative care team and the characteristics of these teams. Methods: In April 2015, questionnaires were mailed to key palliative care professionals in all general, teaching and academic... Mehr ...