Samsung Changwon Hospital Designated as an Advisory Hospice Specialist Institution

Providing Holistic Care Services in an Advisory Form to Improve the Quality of Life for Terminal Patients and Their Families

Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Changwon Hospital was recently designated as an ‘Advisory Hospice Specialized Institution’ by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Samsung Changwon Hospital.

Advisory hospice refers to a hospice team composed of doctors, nurses, social workers, and others providing holistic care services in an advisory form to terminal patients and their families who are receiving treatment in general wards or outpatient settings. Unlike inpatient hospice, advisory hospice allows patients to receive hospice services without changing their attending medical staff, which has the advantage of maintaining patient choice and continuity of care.

Samsung Changwon Hospital offers various services to terminal patients and their families with conditions such as cancer, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, chronic liver cirrhosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including ▲consultation on physical symptom management ▲education and support for end-of-life preparation ▲financial support ▲psychological, social, and spiritual support ▲linkage to hospice inpatient care (limited to terminal cancer patients) ▲and connection to home care services.

To use the advisory hospice service at Samsung Changwon Hospital, patients must first receive a terminal diagnosis for their condition from their attending physician and express their intention to use hospice and palliative care. Then, through consultations, guidance, and counseling by the hospice and palliative care team, the patient and family can agree to use hospice and palliative care services.

Park Hyerang, head of the hospice and palliative care team at Samsung Changwon Hospital and professor of family medicine, said, “There are still many cases where treatment is stopped or abandoned due to a lack of understanding about hospice and palliative care.” She added, “With this designation, we plan to improve awareness of hospice and palliative care in the community and actively promote it to offer patients and families a meaningful and beautiful life.”

Meanwhile, Samsung Changwon Hospital established the hospice and palliative care team last year and has been making active and continuous efforts by strengthening personnel, facilities, and systems. Additionally, to advance regional hospice and palliative care, the hospital signed a cooperation agreement with Masan Medical Center, an inpatient hospice specialized institution.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.