Author: Maaike De Roo
Date: 06-03-2015
Promotor: Prof. dr. Anneke Francke, Prof. dr. Luc Deliens and Prof. dr. Nele Van Den Noortgate
SUMMARY OF THE DISSERTATION
It is crystal clear that patients deserve good quality palliative care. Therefore, evaluating quality of care is essential. Quality indicators can be measured to provide more insights into the quality of care provided. Quality indicators are measurable aspects concerning the structure, processes, and outcomes of care. They can highlight both aspects of care that are already functioning well and areas where care can still be improved. In palliative care too, such quality indicators can be useful. Palliative care focuses on patients with an incurable disease and their family members. Because of the ageing of our society, the number of people living with a chronic, eventually fatal condition is rising, resulting in an increasing number of people who will need palliative care. Palliative care is a complex type of care, implying a multidisciplinary and holistic approach. This care focuses not just on an optimal control of physical symptoms, but also pays attention to psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of care.
