End of life care in emergency settings

摘要

IN RECENT years, the suitability of emergency departments (EDs) to meet the needs of an ageing population with complex conditions and comorbidities, and therefore significant palliative care needs, has come under question. Palliative care has been defined as holistic support provided to people with incurable, often long-term, conditions at any stage between diagnosis and death, as well as bereavement support for carers and family members (National Council for Palliative Care 2012). End of life care is a facet of palliative care (World Health Organization 2011).