Abstract
Outpatient palliative care facilitates timely symptom management, psychosocial care
and care planning. A growing number of cancer centers have either stand-alone or embedded
outpatient palliative care clinics. In this “Controversies in Palliative Care” article,
three groups of thought leaders independently answer this question. Specifically,
each group provides a synopsis of the key studies that inform their thought processes,
share practical advice on their clinical approach, and highlight the opportunities
for future research. One group advocates for stand-alone clinics, another for embedded,
and the third group tries to find a balance. In the absence of evidence that directly
compares the two models, factors such as cancer center size, palliative care team
composition, clinic space availability, and financial considerations may drive the
decision-making process at each institution. Stand-alone clinics may be more appropriate
for larger academic cancer centers or palliative care programs with a more comprehensive
interdisciplinary team, while embedded clinics may be more suited for smaller palliative
care programs or community oncology programs to stimulate referrals. As outpatient
clinic models continue to evolve, investigators need to document the referral and
patient outcomes to inform practice.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 25, 2022
Accepted:
November 7,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
