Supportive Care Team

Introduction

The Supportive Care Team (SCT) initiated a consultation service from October 2005. The SCT aims to improve the quality of hospital cancer care provided to patients and families faced with the life-threatening illness. The role of the SCT is to assess severe symptoms (physical, psychiatric) and untreated needs (psychological, social, and spiritual) and to provide expert symptom management, psychosocial support, and coordinating services.

Routine Activities

The SCT is an interdisciplinary team consisting of adequately trained physicians (palliative care specialists and psycho-oncologists), certified nurse specialist (CNS), psychologists, pharmacists, national registered dietitians, and social workers. The SCT communicates with clinicians, discusses the patient needs through meetings, and refers patients and their families to the appropriate services as required. The consultation data are shown in the table. The interdisciplinary team conferences and the SCT rounds are held every Wednesday. In the meetings, patient assessment, including the assessment of physical and psychological symptoms and social aspects, and the overall goals of care are discussed. The SCT exchanges information regarding patients and their families with the outpatient ward staff and the mobile palliative care team and strives to provide the patients and their families with consistent coordination.

● A. Ogawa, Y. Uchitomi ●

Supportive Care Team Consultation Data (N = 442; january-december, 2007)
    No. (%)
Age Mean ± SD (range) (yr) 61.7 ± 11.8 (24-88)
Gender (Male/Female) 305(69%)/137 (31%)
Service Palliative/Psycho-oncology 189/328
Cancer site Lung 119 (27%)
Head and Neck 105 (24%)
Esophagus 41 (9%)
Stomach 28 (6%)
Colon 27 (6%)
Stage I/II/III/IV 9 (2%)/13 (3%)/44 (10%)/159 (36%)
/recurrence/unknown /191 (43%)/16 (4%)
Performance Status 0/1/2/3/4 41 (9%)/98 (22%)/98 (22%)/143 (32%)/62 (14%)
Actual symptoms (Physical) Pain 234 (53%)
Appetite loss 174 (39%)
Fatigue 104 (24%)
Respiratory distress 101 (23%)
Psychiatric diagnosis Delirium 98
Adjustment disorders 60
Depression 31
Dementia 14
Outcome Discharge/Changed Hospital 223 (50%)/17 (4%)

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