Tools for Practice

Best Practices in Palliative Care for Patients with End Stage Renal Disease: With Recommendations for the Nova Scotia Renal Program

Description:

After examining best practices in renal palliative care across jurisdictions, this report provides four broad recommendations. The first recommendation is to expand palliative care education for healthcare providers in the renal team. Second, referral guidelines should be established and patients should be referred at diagnosis of ESRD. Third, the Nova Scotia Renal Program should develop a provincial framework for renal palliative care to minimize disparities in service delivery and improve quality of the service. Lastly, partnerships with hospices and other community palliative care supports can be explored to expand educational efforts and home palliative care services.