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The deteriorating patient representative on a palliative care quality committee: Ethical and practical considerations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

Peter Eastman*
Affiliation:
Barwon Health Palliative Care Department, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Melbourne Health, School of Medicine Deakin University, North Geelong, VIC, Australia
Brian Le
Affiliation:
Palliative Care, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Melbourne Health, Department of Medicine University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Peter Eastman, Barwon Health Palliative Care Department, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Melbourne Health, School of Medicine Deakin University, North Geelong, 45-95 Ballarat Road, North Geelong VIC 3215Australia. Email: eastman@gmp.usyd.edu.au

Abstract

This case study describes the involvement of a patient representative on a palliative care committee and outlines some of the issues that arose as her health deteriorated. A summary of the increasing involvement of patient representation within health care governance is provided, and some of the challenges raised by the case, many of which may be relatively unique to palliative care, are discussed. It is hoped that presentation of this fairly novel scenario provides other palliative care providers with the opportunity to consider their own processes and practices around managing a similar situation should it occur in their healthcare setting.

Type
Case Report
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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