Palliative care (PC) refers to all services provided to make the remaining life of a patient meaningful and valuable. It is recommended that palliative care that is applied to improve the life quality of the patients should not be based only on the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease but also on the need of the patients. Even, palliative care was administered only in the late stages of diseases in the past, but these days it is recommended to be administered in addition to therapies starting from the diagnosis of life-threatening diseases. Palliative care requires a multidisciplinary team approach consisting of professionals who serve for a common purpose.No single palliative care model can be fit for all conditions. However, there is a universal fundamental principle of palliative care: it should address the individual wishes and needs of each patient and the relatives of patients. The development and training of palliative care services vary from country to country: palliative care services are in the development stage in developing countries, compared to developed countries. This chapter provides necessary information about palliative care services, a multidisciplinary health service.Keywords: palliative care, the purpose of palliative care, palliative care models, palliative care levels, palliative care in the world Palliative Care

This study was conducted to determine the supportive care needs of individuals diagnosed with cancer. Method: The descriptive study included 39 patients who were hospitalized in the 14-bed oncology clinic of a state hospital between May and July 2019 and agreed to participate in the study. The study data were obtained by face to face interview technique using the "Personel Information Form" and "James Supportive Care Screening". Results: It was found that 30.7% of the patients were diagnosed with GIS cancers, 51.2% were in the 4th stage of the disease, 12.8% had additional physical or mental disorders as well as cancer. 43.6% of the patients stated that the most distressing conditions for them were "the concern about whether there will be improvement" and "the possibility of recurrence of the disease". The mean score of supportive care needs of the patients was detected as 74. It was determined that the patients with the diagnosis of mental disorder had more social/practical problems and cognitive concerns, the total scale score and healthcare decision-making/communication subscale scores were higher, and the patients with the highest score in the spiritual concerns subscale were those in the 60-80 age group. Conclusions: The supportive care needs of the patients with oncologic diagnosis are focused on lack of information, physical and emotional needs, and the patients experience distress most about the prognosis of the disease. In addition to the diagnosis of cancer, having mental health problems increases the supportive care needs of the patients. It is important for nurses to be aware of the supportive care needs of the patients diagnosed with cancer and to apply individual-specific and patient-centred care approach in terms of meeting the needs of the patients.

No abstract