On Implementing Supportive Care In Cancer Wards : Avenues For Thought And Propositions

A group of 19 health professionals implicated in supportive care wanted to suggest some reflections for organization, setting up and evaluation of supportive care in institutions and health territories. The proposed organization would have to be applicable for any cancer patient and place of care whatever the age, the stage of the disease; in the future, it would have to be applicable for any patient with serious chronic illness. This organization should enable optimized accompaniment and care of patients and close relations by: 1) precise and regular analysis of their needs; 2) guaranteed continuous healthcare; 3) collaborative and transversal care practices. This does not lead to a new medical speciality but rather a coordination of competences for patients and their families. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits rserves.