[Outpatient palliative medicine : Attitudes in the care of palliative emergencies. Prospective questionnaire-based investigation].

Background: The right to adequate outpatient palliative care has existed for several years in Germany. In recent years outpatient palliative care has developed very positively. Nevertheless, in emergency situations paramedics and emergency physicians were often included in the care of palliative care of patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the cooperation between outpatient palliative care teams and the emergency medical services. Another aim was to identify structural realities and based on these to discuss the possibilities in the optimization of outpatient palliative medical emergency situations.

Methods: A standardized self-designed questionnaire was distributed to specialized outpatient palliative care teams (SPCS) in Germany. For this purpose, closed and open questions (mixed methods) were used. The evaluation was carried out according to the questionnaire categories in quantitative and qualitative forms. The questionnaire was subdivided into general information and specific questions.

Results: The survey response rate was 79% from a total of 81 SPCS in 2011. The following standards in palliative emergency care were recommended: (1) early integration of outpatient palliative care services and basic outpatient palliative care systems, (2) end-of-life discussions, (3) defined emergency medical documents, emergency drug boxes, do not attempt resuscitation orders and (4) emergency medical training (physicians and paramedics).

Conclusion: Outpatient palliative care in Germany has developed very positively during the last years; however, there are still deficits in terms of optimal patient care, one of which refers to the treatment of palliative care emergencies. In this context, optimization in the cooperation between outpatient palliative care services and emergency medical services should be discussed.