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Ho FDV, De Luna DV, Cubarrubias DLPF, Ong EP, Abello RMR, Ansay MFM, Taliño MKV, Robredo JPG, Eala MAB, Dee EC. Palliative and Supportive Care in the Philippines: Systems, Barriers, and Steps Forward. J Palliat Care 2024; 39:87-91. [PMID: 36740938 DOI: 10.1177/08258597231153381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Although integral to alleviating serious health-related suffering, global palliative care remains systemically and culturally inaccessible to many patients living in low- and middle-income countries. In the Philippines, a lower-middle income country in Southeast Asia of over 110 million people, up to 75% of patients with cancer suffer from inadequate pain relief. We reviewed factors that preclude access to basic palliative care services in the Philippines. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched thoroughly; search terms included but were not limited to "palliative care," "supportive care," "end-of-life care," and "Philippines." We found that a limited palliative care workforce, high out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and low opioid availability all hinder access to palliative care in the archipelago. Religious fatalism, strong family-orientedness, and physician reluctance to refer to palliative care providers represent contributory sociocultural factors. Efforts to improve palliative care accessibility in the country must address health systems barriers while encouraging clinicians to discuss end-of-life options in a timely manner that integrates patients' unique individual, familial, and spiritual values. Research is needed to elucidate how Filipinos-and other global populations-view end-of-life, and how palliative care strategies can be individualised accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Erika P Ong
- College of Medicine, University of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines
| | | | | | | | | | - Michelle Ann B Eala
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Edward Christopher Dee
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
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Rivera FB, Choi S, Carado GP, Adizas AV, Bantayan NRB, Loyola GJP, Cha SW, Aparece JP, Rocha AJB, Placino S, Ansay MFM, Mangubat GFE, Mahilum MLP, Al-Abcha A, Suleman N, Shah N, Suboc TMB, Volgman AS. End-Of-Life Care for Patients With End-Stage Heart Failure, Comparisons of International Guidelines. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2024; 41:87-98. [PMID: 36705612 DOI: 10.1177/10499091231154575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, debilitating condition associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burden. Patients with end-stage HF (ESHF) who are not a candidate for advanced therapies will continue to progress despite standard medical therapy. Thus, the focus of care shifts from prolonging life to controlling symptoms and improving quality of life through palliative care (PC). Because the condition and prognosis of HF patients evolve and can rapidly deteriorate, it is imperative to begin the discussion on end-of-life (EOL) issues early during HF management. These include the completion of an advance directive, do-not-resuscitate orders, and policies on device therapy and discontinuation as part of advance care planning (ACP). ESHF patients who do not have indications for advanced therapies or those who wish not to have a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplant (HT) often experience high symptom burden despite adequate medical management. The proper identification and assessment of symptoms such as pain, dyspnea, nausea, depression, and anxiety are essential to the management of ESHF and may be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Psychological support and spiritual care are also crucial to improving the quality of life during EOL. Caregivers of ESHF patients must also be provided supportive care to prevent compassion fatigue and improve resilience in patient care. In this narrative review, we compare the international guidelines and provide an overview of end-of-life and palliative care for patients with ESHF.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarang Choi
- Ateneo de Manila School of Medicine and Public Health, Pasig City, Philippines
| | - Genquen Philip Carado
- University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, Inc, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Arcel V Adizas
- University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, Manila, Philippines
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Siena Placino
- St Luke's Medical Center College of Medicine, William H. Quasha Memorial, Manila, Philippines
| | | | | | | | - Abdullah Al-Abcha
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Natasha Suleman
- Department of Palliative Care, Lincoln Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Nishant Shah
- Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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