Development and Management of Networks of Care at the End of Life (the REDCUIDA Intervention): Protocol for a Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Background: End-of-life needs can be only partly met by formalized health and palliative care resources. This creates the opportunity for the social support network of family and community to play a crucial role in this stage of life. Compassionate communities can be the missing piece to a complete care model at the end of life.

[Palliative care support teams and the commitment of primary care teams to terminally ill patients in their homes].

Objective: To find out if the activity of palliative care support teams (PCST) does not negatively influences the performance of the primary care "care of terminally ill patients" service.

Participants: Terminally ill patients cared for at home.

Design: Multicentre observational study.