Comment reconnaître un patient en situation palliative ? Une question «surprise» pour ne plus se laisser surprendre. ; How to recognize a patient with palliative needs : a «surprise» question to prevent bad surprises.

editorial reviewed ; Early discussion on palliative care with patients with advanced, progressive or terminal disease is difficult regardless patient's life expectancy. In Belgium, a Royal Decree sets the criteria to identify patients with palliative needs. For that purpose, the Palliative Care Indicators Tool (PICT) is proposed. This 3-step identification tool designed for physicians begins with the so-called surprise question, «Would you be surprised if your patient died in the next 6 to 12 months?». The second and third steps examine the fragility and incurability criteria, respectively. Th... Mehr ...