Outpatient care for cancer patients during the last year of life within the system of palliative care provision

The aim of the study was to investigate the scope of medical care provided for terminal cancer patients in city outpatient units during the last year of their life including the last month of life and to determine the number of patients who died at home per district doctor per year. The study showed insufficient volume of outpatient care provided in the community and low level of inpatient admissions. More than a half of all visits in the last year occurred in the last month of patients life. Due to great burden and special meaning of this period of the disease, the development of a special protocol of palliative care for cancer patients at the end of life is required. Outpatient care takes an important place in palliative care. Therefore, the establishment of inpatient units for these patients may be beneficial along with the development of palliative medicine at the primary care level.